The One Where
by arianapeterson19
Summary: Collection of one-shots about all our favorite characters, covering all sorts of categories and topics. Request welcome. Seriously, any topic is fair game. Summary of each chapter found at the top of them along with characters and rating.
1. Dream of a Dream

**Title- Dream of a Dream**

**Summary- A few weeks after the defeat of Pitch, Jack is dealing with getting his memories back and find he's not always alone.**

**Characters- Jack Frost, Bunnymund**

**Rated-T**

Standing up, brushing snow off of his now damp brown pants, Jack heard it for the first time. The wind had stopped howling while Jack had been absorbed in helping his injured younger sister to be replaced by an even more menacing sound.

The silence.

Jack knew by some instinct that this silence hid something more terrifying then killer snow. The feeling of being watched by some horrid power swept over him as Jack froze, listening to the unnatural lack of noise, turning his head this way and that as if that would bring the natural animal noises back to life, searching for the source of the menace. Then he saw it. A shadow on the snow.

"Jack?" came the small voice of Pippa, who sat on the ground, tears running down her flaming cheeks from pain and fear. She had seen the shadow as well.

"Quiet," hushed Jack. "It's going to be fine. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you."

Pippa stared at the shadow, her big chocolate eyes not blinking. Her long brown hair in a braid, she was only four years old, however, she knew that it was all her fault that they were out in the cold, caught by the shadow. Jack had followed her out into the night, trying to make her see reason. He had told her that their father meant nothing by his actions, that it was not her fault their father acted that way. Then Pippa had slipped, falling on a patch of concealed black ice, and got hurt. Jack refused to leave her to get help, knowing that no one would help them. Now it looked as if they were both about to die.

The shadow was gliding ever closer, a daunting figure of black in the surrounding mass of snow. Jack slowly crouched down beside his sister and grabbed one of the sharp rocks that poked out of the snow covered ground.

"Not another move," hissed a gravelly voice that appeared to have come from the shadow.

Jack froze. Pippa grabbed his arm instinctively.

"I said, _not another move!_" growled the voice.

The shadow was close enough for the siblings to tell that it was not merely a shadow. It had no true form, flowing and molding to its surroundings like silk. The shadow was not black, but a deep shade of purple so dark it appeared black from a distance. The only feature that appeared to resemble a human was its eyes, deep glowing orbs of light purple with slit pupils.

Before either sibling could react, the shadow attacked Pippa, soaring like black lightening through the air to land on top of her and form itself around her body. Jack crouched, petrified, as he watched his sister be completely consumed as if wrapped in a body bad. Then Pippa's muffled but piercing scream reached his ears, snapping Jack back into action.

Jack threw his slight frame on top of the shadow, grabbing and attempting to rip and tear every inch of it that he could find. The shadow slipped out of his grasp, its body slippery and smooth like trying to grab water, then in a flash it was around Jack instead of his sister, blocking out his scream of terror. The stench of the shadow itself was enough to ensue fear, let alone the stifling darkness. It smelled of rotting corpses, of stale vomit and long dried blood. Jack knew that he would soon be one more smell, the last thing that another unfortunate victim would know of this life.

Then, just as suddenly as it had all began, it ended, and Jack was back in the cramped closet of a room that he shared with Pippa, staring wide eyed up at the water stained ceiling, shaking with fear. He was drenched in his own set and by another odor, he had wet the bed. Jack sat up quickly making his vision spin dizzyingly for a minute. When his vision had settled, Jack looked across the tiny room to find his sister sitting up in her own bed, her brown eyes open, fear etched in her shadowed face.

"You awake?" asked Jack unnecessarily, his voice harsher than usual from the screams that he knew he had emitted.

"Yeah," said Pippa softly. "I had that dream again."

"Me too," said Jack, ruffling his messy locks.

The siblings sat in silence, each wondering what the dream meant. It was the third time this week alone and it had been going on for almost a month. The dream was always the same. Pippa would run out of the house they shared with their parents, upset by their drunken father telling her that it was Pippa's fault that the family had no money, that it was Pippa's fault that her brother spent most nights getting beaten. Jack would follow her into the oncoming night, and then Pippa would fall. Jack would rush to her aid and bring his sister back to consciousness and keep her conscious in case she had a concussion. Then he would stand, looking in vain for a way to get help without leaving his sister. Finally, the shadow would attack.

A voice from down the stairs echoed into the room where Jack and Pippa sat, interrupting their morbid thoughts.

"Who the hell are you, trying to tell me how to raise my brats?" came the slurred voice of the sibling's father.

A gun clicked before erupting in sound, then the thud of something larger hitting the ground almost buried by the ringing in the ears after the shot.

Heavy footsteps creaked up the rickety stairs. Jack ran silently over to Pippa's bed, farther away from the door. The footsteps stopped outside of their room and slowly the door swung open. A tall dark form stood in the doorway, peering into the darkness of the room. Its eyes lit on what it had been searching for, the children.

"Hello kids," came a deep voice from the tall figure. "Daddy's home."

Jack woke, gasping for air, flailing in an attempt to get out of the light blue sheets wrapped around his body like a straight jacket. He tumbled out of the chair and scrambled to the window, throwing it open after a quick glance to confirm that he still had his white hair and blue eyes. The wind instantly rushed and swirled around him, ruffling his sweaty locks affectionately, teasing a small smile out of it's favorite child. With an exhale that released more tension than air, Jack leaned against the window frame, head frosting the wood where it made contact, eyes closing. He had gotten his memories back a few weeks ago and ever since had been having nightmares about them.

The Guardian meeting had run extra late that night and Jack had ended up falling asleep in an armchair. North, he assumed, had covered him with a sheet and let him be. However, after 300 years outside, Jack wished he had left a window open to let the wind in. The wind tended to get anxious when it couldn't reach him.

"What's going on, Frostbite?" came the familiar Australian accent from the corner of the room that housed the fireplace.

"Bunny, didn't realize you were here," said Jack, smirking at the Pooka but staying by the welcome cold. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"Had a nightmare, didn't you?" said Bunny, sauntering over and sitting on the window sill, ignoring the cold as it permeated his fur.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Whatever, I'm not Tooth, I'm not going to make you talk if you don't want to, just confirming the obvious, mate. It's to be expected, after getting your memories back you're bound to have dreams from your past."

Jack raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing.

"So what are you doing here? I thought you hated the cold."

"I do, mate, but I didn't want to go back to the Warren just to come back up here in the morning. North has some party planned for all the spirits and Tooth expects me to help get ready for it."

"All of the spirits?"

"Yeah, he likes to try and gather everyone together once a year, normally after Easter, just to have a party. Honestly I think he's off his rocker because parties are a waste of bloody time, but whatever."

"Yeah, don't sign me up for that, I don't do parties."

"Sorry Frostbite but if I have to show then so do you."

"No I don't," said Jack coolly. "I've never been invited before, I'm not going now just because the moon told you that you had to tolerate me now. Besides, believe it or not but you aren't the head of my lynching club."

"Lynching club?"

"Yeah, the spirits after me head for being a pain and bringing winter. There's a whole group of them who make you look like you have a crush on me by their hatred. It's practically a sport in the spirit world, try to catch Jack Frost. They have jackets. I almost got one but thought wearing my own face might be a bit vain."

"You're so strange. Wait, other spirits hate you?"

"You didn't honestly think you were the only one, did you? Come now, Kangaroo, you can't be that thick."

"Well, you're part of the Guardians now, so you're going whether they like you or not."

"No, seriously," said Jack, his face going serious. "It will cause a huge fight. It always does, every time they see me."

"They wouldn't dare, not at North's. Now go back to sleep."

"You're not the boss of me."

"Well someone's got to be since you a clearly just a child!"

"A child? You think I'm a child?"

"You certainly act like one," snapped Bunny. "In immortal terms you're still pretty young and you're forever frozen as a kid, so yeah, you're just a child."

"If I'm so much of a child then where the hell were you all these years? Better question, where were you when I was mortal? I understand that I'm obnoxious and cause trouble, unfocused and stubborn, but what about when I was human? Where were you when my da started drinking? When I had to start working to feed my family? When he would yell at my sister and beat me? Where were you when our village was raided and we were left without a home or when the winter was too harsh and we nearly starved? Where were you then, when I was a mortal child? Because that's who you guard, isn't it, mortal children? Because you certainly never guarded me as an immortal."

Bunny stood in silence at the outburst.

"No need to answer, I managed just fine with 300 years of silence from you. I may be stuck as a child but I can take care of myself and I certainly don't need you bossing me around now."

"You think you're the only one suffering, you bloody show pony?" whispered Bunny, glaring at the slight form in front of him, stung by the truthful words. "Yeah, we wronged you, we should have made some sort of effort before but we can't change that now. You think I don't know that? Of course I do! I've been the last of my race for longer than you've been around. We're both alone in this life, Jack. But if we're both alone, at least we're together in that. And that's the only consolation I can offer you. We're all trying to make it up to you, you just have to let us. Your choice."

Jack closed his eyes again and leaned his head back with a heavy exhale. A pale hand went to run through his hair as he thought over the words.

"I'm sorry I got mad and yelled at you," said Jack, eyes still closed. "That was out of line."

"It was all true. We have failed you as a Guardian time and again."

"Sorry about your race being dead and all."

Bunny shrugged.

"That's what you were dreaming about tonight, wasn't it, your da and sister."

"Yeah," sighed Jack, sliding down the wall to sit on the ground, knees to his chest. "It was a dream of a dream, really. My da, he wasn't always the nicest person."

"Sounds like it," said Bunny, joining him on the ground.

"But it was my fault, really. My mom, she died giving birth to me and she was his true love I guess. I was a constant reminder of what he had lost. He remarried later to my sisters mom but things weren't the same. I tried to protect her as best I could and provide for her, but I failed in that. I left her with him, alone to face him. What type of brother does that?"

"The kind that gave his life for her in the first place. Your sister, her name was Pippa, yeah?"

Jack nodded.

"She wrote North that year, it must have been right after Christmas because he raved about the letter being the first of the season and how Christmas was more important than Easter. She told him about her brother who drowned to save her life on the ice and that her mother was pregnant and her father had joined the army the day after her brother drowned. She was asking North to please bring her sturdy shoes and he could take back the skates because she needed to work for the new baby like her brother worked for her. I know we failed you, kid, but we never let your sister of baby brother go hungry. Your father never returned and it was your legacy that kept us all checking up on her even as she got older and eventually married. She turned out fine."

Jack nodded thoughtfully.

"Thanks, Bunny, for, you know, looking out for her when I couldn't."

"Thanks for looking out for me and making Jamie believe in me when I couldn't do so myself."

"No problem."

"I've been wondering about that, Jack. Why did you make Jamie believe in me? After I sent you away, yelled at you, you still made him see me when you could have made him see you or any one of us."

"Everyone deserves to be believed in. He wanted to believe in you so badly, how was I supposed to deny him that? I wouldn't do that, not to a kid. I guess in that moment it was more important to me that he believed at all than if he believed in me."

"I was wrong about you, Jack," said Bunny, eying him with new found respect.

"Don't worry," smirked Jack, opening one eye to look at him. "They have a club for that too. It's called the I Misjudged/Underestimated Jack Frost Club. They have scarves."

Bunny chuckled and nudged him playfully.

***It's been done before, but I figured I'd give it a go. Here is the first in my collection of one shots. Enjoy.**

**Always-Ari**


	2. Frozen

**Title- Frozen**

**Summary- The one where Pitch chats with Jack and Bunny shows up and discovers something he didn't know about the winter spirit.**

**Characters- Pitch, Jack Frost, Bunnymund**

**Rating-T**

There was no moon that night and Jack was feeling restless. He'd had a busy day frosting half the world, playing with penguins, and rounding out the day with a quick freeze to the Warren. Originally he'd planned on visiting the Easter Bunny but when he arrived at the Warren he found Bunny had gone on an errand to get more dye for his river, so Jack played with the eggs and frosted the corner of the Warren he had designated at his and then frozen the river just for good measure. As Jack lounged on a tree branch near his lake, staring at the stars that seemed to shine brighter without the moon, he barely noticed the change in temperature, the slight warming of the air around him before he was smashed off the branch and onto his lake.

He stood up, scanning the area around until her spotted Pitch leaning casually against a tree at the edge, stroking a small nightmare.

"Oh, it's you," said Jack, one eyebrow raised in surprise. "For a moment I thought it was someone important."

"Jack Frost, the big Guardian," sneered Pitch. "Well, I suppose big is a subjective term."

Jack looked down at his slight frame then back at Pitch with a smirk.

"That's not what your mom was saying last night."

"What does my mother have to do with this?" asked Pitch, confused.

"Insulting guys who hide under a bed is not as satisfying as one would think," sighed Jack, leaning casually against his staff. "Get out more, your mom jokes are funny. Or next time warn me when you plan on knocking me out of trees so I can have an audience to appreciate my humor."

Pitch didn't respond, just sent the baby nightmare stampeding to Jack, the ice cracking under the hooves. As soon as Jack heard the ice cracking his eyes went wide.

Crack!

"_Jack, Jack I'm scared!"_

_"I know, I know, but you're going to be fine. You're going to be fine."_

A boomerang hit Pitch on the back of his head.

"Oi! What are you doing here you bloody shadow creeper?" roared Bunny.

"Just paying Frost a visit," said Pitch. "Letting the kid play with a pony, after all, kids love ponies."

"Go back to cowering under some bed."

There was an ear shattering crack that caused both Bunny and Pitch to look at the middle of the lake where Jack stood, eyes glued to the ice that splintered under his feet. Jack looked up, his soft blue eyes locking with Bunny's green ones, and then he disappeared into the water as if sucked into a black hole, staff clattering to the remaining ice.

Bunny didn't hesitate. It took him two bounds before he reached the edge of the hole, looking into the inky water, trying to catch sight of the mop of white hair making it's way to the surface, ready to pop out with a grin and snarky comment. As the seconds turned to minutes, Bunny realized something was seriously wrong and drove in head first, ignoring the biting cold sinking into his bones.

He swam, his long feet propelling him deeper into the depths of the lake, wondering how it could go so far down then he spotted it, a small bit of white in the darkness. Long arms reached out, encircling the willowy frame of the winter spirit before flipping back towards the surface, the small gap in the ice calling him to the welcome oxygen above.

Water exploded into the air as Bunny burst into the air, gasping down the air greedily, hauling them both onto solid ice and to the ground. It was still early fall so the ground was snowless but Jack Bunny shivered in the cold air nonetheless. Pitch had disappeared as had the tiny nightmare, leaving a shivering Bunny and Jack sobbing for air.

"Jeez mate, I come here to get on to you for messing with my eggs and find you arguing with Pitch," said Bunny, shaking the rest of the water out of his fur. "Why didn't you just fly off or refreeze the ice, Frostbite?"

In answer Jack curled into a ball, shaking and gasping as he tried to gather more air than his panicked lungs would allow.

"Jack? Mate, you alright?"

Bunny tentatively touched the blue hoodie. The reaction was instantaneous, He shot into a sitting position, eyes wide, breathing stopped altogether, looking around for any signs of danger.

"Whoa, easy there," said Bunny, hands up and empty. "It's just me."

Jack stayed sitting up, shaking but refusing to breathe.

Bunny moved slowly until both of his paws were on Jack's shoulders.

"You're okay," said Bunny, looking into Jack's eyes. "I need you to breathe. Come on mate, breathe with me here. In and out. You can do this, come on Jack."

His name seemed to do the trick, snapping Jack out of whatever world he'd been trapped in and suddenly he was panting and, shocking both parties, he threw himself into Bunny's arms. Bunny's eyes went wide in shock but then settling as he wrapped his arms protectively around the winter spirit, trying to calm the kid. Jack had been a Guardian for about eight months but had never allowed any of the other Guardians to touch him, shying away from them and flying away if they pushed. Bunny had never thought of Jack as weak or needing comfort, he had always been smirking and joking, laughing off any misfortune or problem but this Jack, this Jack was just a scared little boy alone in the world and holding on to the only thing that offered protection

"Alright, you little ankle biter, let's get out of this forest."

Bunny stood slowly, pulling Jack to his feet, tapping his foot, and sending them hurtling through a tunnel, landing in the Warren. It was still night, cool but not freezing, and the grass was soft under the Pookas feet. Bunny brought Jack over to his corner of the Warren where a small snowstorm was brewing in time with the spirits emotions.

"You want to tell me what that was all about back there on the lake?" asked Bunny after several minutes of silence.

Jack sighed, closed his eyes, his head resting against Bunny's furry shoulder.

"When I was human, I took my sister skating on that lake," said Jack softly, haltingly. "I was going to teach her how and she was so excited she rushed out on the ice before I could check it or even get my skates on."

Bunny cringed, predicting where the story was going, seeing the unknown sister of Jack falling through the water.

"The ice started cracking under her feet and she was so scared," continued Jack. "I couldn't let her be scared, so I told her we were going to play a game, that we'd play hopscotch. She took a few steps and I managed to get her back on solid ice with my staff but, but that meant I traded places with her. When I stood up, the ice gave way and I fell in. I drowned. It was cold and dark and I was alone and then everything went black until I woke up and the moon had changed me into Jack Frost. Tonight, on the ice, I just couldn't pull myself out of that memory when I heard the ice crack. I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for? You saved your sister and died doing it, mate, that's enough to make anyone freeze up."

Jack just shook his head in shame.

Bunny pulled the younger Guardian into a hug as frozen tears began tracking down Jack's cheeks, nuzzling the boys white hair with his nose in comfort until slowly Jack's trembling ceased and Jack quit crying. Bunny looked down and saw the boy had fallen asleep. With a small smile, Bunny picked Jack up and carried him over to the small lean-to he had built equipped with a nest of soft blue blankets. When Jack had first become a Guardian, Bunny had made this area of the Warren, knowing he would have to put up with visits from the spirit, and added an area to sleep in case the boy ever needed a place to stay. So far he had not needed it but tonight seemed as good a time as any to let the boy know it was his room. Bunny settled the boy there, placed a light sheet over him, and left to go to his own room.

The next morning when Bunny got up, Jack was gone as if he had never been there at all. More than the other Guardians would, Bunny understood that with Jack it was one step forward half a step back and after 300 years of being alone having to face someone after an emotional breakdown would be scary. At the Guardian meeting the next week, Bunny did not mention the incident and neither did Jack but the night after the meeting was over, as Bunny settled into his cozy nest, he heard the wind sweep through the Warren and felt the temperature drop several degrees and he couldn't help but smirk a bit, knowing Jack had snuck in to sleep in his lean-to, before he turned over and fell asleep, dreaming of hiding his eggs in snowy field, acting annoyed as the winter spirit's laughter filled the air.

**This was a request by BlackDragon157. **

**Thanks for reading! Until next time. Always-Ari**


	3. On Level

**Title- On Level**

**Summary- The one where Sandy notices how Jack interacts with everyone and there is a fight.**

**Character-Sandman, Bunnymund, Jack Frost, North, Tooth**

He first noticed it when Jack was walking around the workshop the first time he was allowed inside. The boys movements were fluid, graceful, and light, most importantly light, as if a breeze would lift him off his feet and carry him away which, Sandy realized, was entirely accurate. The easy way he froze the elf made the oldest of Guardians chuckle but that was not what caught his attention. It was when Jack asked why he was there and Sandy tried to explain. The moment Sandy began forming sand images above his head, Jack crouched down to look him in the eye.

His short stature had never bothered the golden man before and it wasn't until Jack got on his level that Sandy realized how much he wanted that-someone to look him in the eye. With the other Guardians, that looked down on him or he floated up to be closer to their height but Jack didn't, he knelt down, almost as if her were….

Sandy noticed it again when he was talking to the children after the battle with Pitch. Jack was down on their level, talking and laughing with them, and they responded to that the way Sandy had, with appreciation and attention. They wanted someone to understand. It made Sandy wonder how Jack had learned to do that when he hadn't interacted with people who could see him in 300 years.

"Hey Sandman!" called Jack, flying up to join Sandy on his golden cloud as he distributed dreams to the children of the world. "How's it going?"

Sandy made a smile above his head in response as Jack perched on top of his staff, completely at ease in the air. He twirled a long pale finger through the dream sand laughing as it turned to dolphins that circled him, doing tricks.

"Are you ready for the meeting tonight?" asked Jack, hopping off his staff to sit beside Sandy, legs dangling off the side of the cloud and swinging absently.

Sandy nodded, noting how Jack never seemed to stay still, part of him always moving. It wasn't the exhaustive movement of Tooth who flitted about in a ball of hyperactive restless energy, Jack moved like the wind, subtly or powerfully, but in a way that seemed entirely natural.

Sandy tugged on the sleeve of Jack's hoodie, making the boy smile over at him.

"What's up, little man?"

In answer Sandy formed his favorite dream sand airplane and made an extra seat for Jack to sit in, motioning for the boy to climb up.

"Actually, can I ride on the top?" asked Jack.

His face was so eager that Sandy just silently laughed and nodded, shaking his head as the winter spirit disappeared with a shout of glee. He felt the boy standing lightly on the tip of the wing and started the plane up, positioning it towards the Pole, Jacks laughter becoming the radio during the ride.

When they arrived, Jack jumped from the wing and dove through the open window of the globe room, the one North always kept open so Sandy and Jack could come and go as they pleased. Sandy followed, noting how Jack seemed to actively avoid doors.

"Hello," called Jack, swooping through the room at breakneck speed a merry trial of frost following him like a slug trail. "You are not going to believe what I saw today! I was flying over Kansas and there was this guy walking down the street with a really long mustache that he had curled! So he had two little curls hanging off his face."

Bunny came crashing into the room, skidding on the trail of ice left by Jack and flying into the globe.

"Agh! You bloody show pony, keep your ice to yourself," shouted Bunny. "Anyway, Fall is here and he is pissed. What did you do this time, Frostbite?"

"Why do you always assume it was me, Kangaroo?" asked Jack, settling the top of the globe out of reach, staff carelessly over one shoulder.

At that moment, Fall came storming into the room. He looked to be in his mid forties, a thick red cape flowing behind him, his tunic a deep gold and pants emerald green. His skin looked like mineral rich farming soil freshly turned after a late rain. His face would have been handsome if it wasn't twisted in a glare, searching the room until it landed on North, talking to Phil the yeti in the corner.

"North," bellowed Fall, striding purposefully over to the large Guardian. "We need to talk."

Jack adjusted his position so he was on his belly on top of the globe, chin resting in his hands, staff on his back, feet crossed behind him, watching the exchange with a grin, knowing the new spirit didn't know he was in the room. Sandy cocked his head to the side in question but Jack motioned for him to keep the secret and see how it played out first.

"Ah, Fall, how are you, old friend?" boomed North, arms opening in a gesture of welcome. "Long time, no see. I thought you would be busy turning leaves this time of year."

"We need to talk about Jack Frost," stated Fall, planting his feet shoulder width apart and crossing his muscled arms.

"Oh, this ought to be good, we should keep listening," said Jack softly to Sandy who had joined him on the globe.

"Jack Frost, yes," nodded North. "Is good boy, no? He should be here soon if you want to talk to him yourself."

"No, I want to discuss his Guardianship with you," said Fall. "I've always considered you an intelligent man, North, and I respect your opinion, but do you really think it wise to let such a volatile force of nature be a Guardian of children?"

"What do you mean?" asked North eyes narrowing.

"I just mean look at his track record," said Fall, throwing his arms in the air. "He causes mischief and trouble wherever he goes, he makes blizzards and never takes anything seriously. He is irresponsible and impulsive and really, how do you expect him to guard children when he can't even guard himself?"

"What do you mean, he can't guard himself?"

"That's quite enough of that, Fall," said Jack, springing down from the globe in a flash that Sandy didn't quite catch. "How about you and I go discuss this elsewhere, like say Antarctica?"

"Oh, you haven't told them?" said Fall, lips pursing in an unpleasant grin. "So they think you are so capable of protecting the world just because you managed to defeat that half rate idiot Pitch Black? Oh, well let me enlighten you now, Guardians, Jack Frost, for the past 300 years, has been beaten in every fight he has ever gotten himself into. Every year as when the seasons change he gets in a fight with my fellow seasonal spirits and every year he loses. And you really want him protecting the children?"

"Jack?" said Bunny, looking at the youngest Guardian. "What's your side of the story."

"I don't lose," said Jack simply. "Fall and Spring don't really like me so every year Fall here hunts me down when I start spreading snow and tries to stop me and Spring tries to take over early no matter what the Ground Hog says. I don't go looking for trouble, trouble usually finds me. And yes, every year I do let them beat me up, but if it fir my fancy, I could easily beat them. I just don't because I don't see the point."

"You think you could beat me? Then I challenge you to a duel right now!"

"Fine, but let's take it outside of the workshop," shrugged Jack. "I don't think North wants us messing up everything so close to Christmas."

They agreed on taking the fight to the Warren, a neutral zone. There, Sandy made stands for the Guardians to sit on and other spirits soon showed up, word traveling quickly through the spirit world.

"You know, it's almost not fair," said Patrick in his green suit sitting next to Tooth. "Poor Frost has to endure this every year, why make him deal with it twice in a row from Fall?"

"This seriously happens every year?" said Tooth, her voice raising in pitch in distress. "How did you not stop it?"

"Better question is how did you not know? Jack is nothing but trouble, why should I stop it?"

The stands buzzed with much of the same conversation but Sandy, who sat near Spring and Summer, grew furious upon hearing Spring brag about how much damage he'd caused the winter spirit that year when he'd found him. It confirmed in Sandy's mind that Jack never started any of the fights.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road!" yelled Fall in the center of the fighting area. "Are you all ready?"

"Yeah!" came the general cheer of approval.

"Then let's do this."

And the fight began.

Fall approached Jack, who was leaning casually against his staff, in a fighters stance. Jack, for his part, watched in disinterest, waiting until the spirit lunged before calmly jumping over him and landing lightly on his feet. The crowd stopped making noise at that move, then began roaring in earnest for Fall to get the little brat.

"Fall, we can call this off," said Jack softly. "I really don't want to embarrass you in front of your friends and I don't want to hurt you, so please, just call the whole thing off and we can both move on with our lives."

"Never!"

"Have it your way then," shrugged Jack.

With a small flick of his wrist, Jack froze Fall mid jump and walked away, a look of shock plastered on the larger spirits face, the stand completely silent. Jack continued walking away from the fight which had never become a fight until Sandy flew down in front of him, a sand question mark above his head.

"Why didn't I do that before?" said Jack as Sandy nodded. "I don't like to fight, that doesn't mean I can't do it."

"No, mate," said Bunny as he and the other Guardians joined them, the rest of the spirits either helping Fall or trying to slip away unnoticed. "We've all seen you fight and you could easily beat Fall or Spring any day of the week, as you just proved. So why were all of the spirits shocked? Why did you let them hurt you each year? And why didn't you tell us?"

"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to, Bunny," said Jack, trying to walk away.

"Jack, please," said Tooth softly, placing a light hand on his shoulder. "We want to understand."

"Fine, but don't get made when I tell you," said Jack, running a hand through his hair, making it more messy than before. "I never stopped them because at least they could see me, at least they weren't ignoring me. And every year when they sought me out, it was the only physical contact I got. I know it's stupid, but it reminded me that I really was alive."

The Guardians stared at him, disgust written across each face, which Jack took one look at and flew away. What he didn't realize was that the disgust was directed inwardly as each Guardian realized how much of a child Jack was, how fully they had failed him, and how desperate he must have been to allow himself to be mistreated just for attention.

"We have to fix this," said North.

"Yeah, but how?" asked Tooth, fluttering in an agitated manner, distress written across her face.

-Break-

For his part, Jack knew he was wrong and it even crossed his mind to fly back and take it like a man, but he did what he always did best, he flew away, landing in New Zealand in a small cove where some of the penguins slept. The waves weren't big enough for him to freeze for fun so he settled on pacing the waterline, staff discarded farther up beach.

"You know, I'm starting to wish you'd continued to leave me alone," said Jack aloud, to the moon before flopping into the sand.

"I knew it was sick," said Jack, staring at the dark sky. "And honestly, I didn't really enjoy getting beaten. I only let them do it because…I don't know, because I'm insane? Because I'm a sick person. Because I was so desperate for any sort of interaction that I would take pain over nothing because I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all. It reminded me that I was still alive, that I could still feel. You know, that was the first thing I learned, was that if I went numb, if I shut out all my emotions, then winter was worse, the storms were bigger, and I had less control.

"I get why they hate me, I take Fall's place, I ruin all his work with my snow, and I make it difficult for Spring to bring life back to the world. I even get why no one bothered to stop them; I sure as hell never stopped them. What I don't get is why on earth I told the Guardians that I allowed them to hurt me. You know what, I told them because I wanted to stay a Guardian, I wanted to stay visible, I wanted to stay part of the group, but it did the exact opposite. No one wants a masochist as a friend. But I'm not a masochist! I just wanted to feel! I just wanted to remember what touch was like! I just didn't want to be alone all the time."

That last bit was met with a sob as all the emotions he kept firmly in check broke loose in a heart wrenching sound that betrayed the pain behind the smile.

He wasn't sure when it happened, but suddenly he found himself huddled in the embrace of his furry rival, clutching at the grey warmth, sobbing out years of loneliness before his sense of pride caught up with him, reminding him that he had to be strong, that he was Jack Frost, the Guardian of Fun, keeper of snowballs and fun times. When that sense of reality came crashing back, he reeled out of the grasp, surprising both parties.

"Ease up, you show pony," said Bunny gruffly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"How long…"

"I knew where you went as soon as you left," shrugged Bunny. " I let the others split up to search because I figured you'd want to be alone. About 50 years back I spotted you hanging here, figured this is where I'd run if I were you. I heard your rant."

Jack looked away, sitting a few feet from Bunny on the damp sand, staring out into the rolling ocean.

"After my race was destroyed, I shut myself in the Warren, only it wasn't how it is now," said Bunny. "I spent days not sleeping or eating, wanting nothing more than to join my family and friends. I was tired of it all and it hurt too much, so I shut off each emotion, one by one. I stayed like that for decades until the Man in the Moon found me and gave me hope. The other Guardians know that much of the story, but what they don't know is something you already figured out-it's not that simple. I was given hope, I protect hope, but I still wake up every morning and have to force myself to remain open to everything else, to feel. You too have to actively choose to feel and that's not easy because being numb is more pleasant than dealing with all the pain of being alone."

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Jack, voice flat.

"Because you're not alone anymore. You don't have to rely on biannual beatings to remind you what it's like to be seen or touched"

"You don't think I'm insane for that?"

"For allowing yourself to get beat up just to be touched? Yeah, I think you're mental for that, but that's only because no one ever showed you any other way. So I'll make you a deal, if you quit letting the other spirits pick on you, I'll tell Tooth and North not to smother you when you show up at the next Guardian meeting."

"Deal," said Jack.

From far above, Sandy smiled down on the two unlikely brothers, noticing how Bunny stayed on Jack's level the entire time they talked. Adjusting his goggles, he flew off in the direction of North and Tooth to reassure them that Jack was safe and then have a long game of charades trying to ask them to get down to his level when talking so he wouldn't have to hurt his neck or float to see them.

***Hope you enjoyed it! Requests are welcome.**

**Always-Ari**


	4. After a Dream

**Title-After the Dream**

**Summary- The one where Bunny thinks about what Jack told him after his nightmare. (continuation of "Dream of a Dream")**

**Characters- Jack Frost, Bunnymund**

**Rating-T**

_"If I'm so much of a child then where the hell were you all these years? Better question, where were you when I was mortal? I understand that I'm obnoxious and cause trouble, unfocused and stubborn, but what about when I was human? Where were you when my da started drinking? When I had to start working to feed my family? When he would yell at my sister and beat me? Where were you when our village was raided and we were left without a home or when the winter was too harsh and we nearly starved? Where were you then, when I was a mortal child? Because that's who you guard, isn't it, mortal children? Because you certainly never guarded me as an immortal."_

After Jack fell back asleep, Bunny sat by the fire a short way away, the words from a few hours before replaying on a loop, time and again. The problem with Bunny was that once he connected Jack with Pippa, he remembered more than he cared.

_Dear Easter Bunny-_

_I know you probably don't get many letters and honestly, I don't know why I'm writing to you, maybe I just want someone to listen because mom doesn't like talking about him or anything from that time and Harry is too young to know. I'm 16 years old now. Ten years ago, when I was six, my brother saved my life. I told Santa, but I wanted you to know as well. See, it's important to me that you know because he was the best person I ever met. He did everything, always, to protect me and be there for me. I remember the winter before he saved my life, we didn't have enough food. He didn't want me to worry and he gave me his share most days because I was still hungry. I know he used to sneak out at night to work for the baker or whoever else had a job for him. Then during the day he took care of the sheep or worked on the farm, but he still found time to tell stories, play, and make me laugh. Oh, how he made me laugh._

_The point of this letter is that I know you are supposed to protect children, that's what he always told me. I know you have protected me and my little brother since he's been gone, but I want to ask you a favor. If you ever meet my brother, can you give him a hug for me, tell him thanks, and that I turned out fine? He may seem like an adult, but he's really just a kid. Oh, and don't feel bad about the hug, he's a really cuddly person, he just doesn't want people to know._

_Love Always-_

_Pippa_

Bunny never thought it was more than wishful thinking, a girl writing to tell him how much she missed her brother most likely off in a different town or something like that, at least, until he showed it to North and he told him that Pippa's brother died when he saved her life. Then he kept a closer watch on Pippa and Harry but never learned the name of her dead brother.

But now, sitting on the ground near the fire, his gaze lingered back over the winter spirit curled up in a tight ball near the window. With a soft sigh, he tossed a light blanket over the boy and ruffled his hair fondly, noting how, in his sleep, Jack leaned into the touch. Instead of moving away, Bunny took a seat next to him, hand still smoothing down the white locks absently.

_Where were you when my da started drinking?_

It was a valid question. Where had Bunny been when Jack had to deal with watching his father drink away the money they needed for food. Because Bunny wasn't paying attention, Jack had to work to get food, probably for years before his time. It made sense, he'd been put on the naughty list at age four for stealing and now Bunny realized he was just stealing to eat. Over the time Jack had been a Guardian, Bunny had read up a bit on him. Jack, it seemed, stayed on the naughty list until he was seven when, Bunny assumed, he started working and could buy food. But all that time, why had none of them questioned why a four year old would be stealing?

_When he'd yell at my sister and beat me?_

Jack, carefree, energetic, full of laughter Jack, where was he when he was being beaten by his own father? Bunny looked down at the sleeping child, how he leaned into the touch, was so trusting in sleep but never wanted to be handled while awake, and it all made sense. Looking down at how Jack had unconsciously scooted so his head was using Bunny's leg as a pillow.

"Bloody ankle biter," grumbled Bunny good naturedly.

He had failed the immortal child while he was human and then again when he become immortal, but he would not fail him again. From all Bunny had learned from losing his entire race, the greatest lesson was that he could get sucked into regrets if he allowed it or he could learn from it and make the future better. Bunny had the happy memories of his time to hold on to, to remind him that there was still good in the world. Jack didn't have that, he had always been alone or worse than alone when he was human. It was enough to make anyone go insane, but Jack had not. Jack, the Guardian of Fun, who ushered laughter and joy wherever he went, knew more hardship than Bunny, the last of his kind, but still he found a way to smile every day.

"What the hell is a lynching club?" mused Bunny, trying to distract from the less pleasant idea that Jack had never known love.

"It's just a way of saying spirits hate me," yawned Jack, turning over, eyes still closed, snuggling closer to Bunny, sleep making his filters off and guard low. "They think I'm trouble and death and they're not wrong. Winter kills people, but so does spring and summer and fall."

"Then why just hate you?"

"I'm an easy target. Bullies don't pick on people their own size, they go for the smaller ones, the ones that are alone, who no one will notice if they are hurt. Who better than the most invisible of them all?"

"Well, you're not such an easy target anymore, mate."

"That's right, because if we're both alone, we're together in that, that's what you said earlier."

Bunny didn't respond, continued to stroke the boy's hair, and they both settled back, eventually falling asleep.

***Request by Don't touch my Seaweed Brain.**

**Next one I am thinking either a fight of some sort (can't really decided who with) or Jack wants a pet. What think you?**

**Always-Ari**


	5. Water Fight

**Title- Water Fight**

**Summary- The one where Jack fights nature and a crazy spirit.**

**Characters-Jack Frost, Baby Tooth, Pitch**

**Rated-T**

Scarred, that's what they called him, not the white scars that his under his blue hoodie but even smaller ones that criss crossed his heart or soul or whatever it was. He didn't believe in souls, or socializing, and if he had it his way he would be left to his own devices-at least, that's what he told himself for 300 years, late at night, when even the Man in the Moon had gone to sleep, he would whisper to himself that he didn't need anyone and he liked being alone. Part of him knew it was a lie but a larger part was willing to believe it if it made the days less lonely.

It was August, the second week, when Jack was flying around the evening sky with Baby Tooth, laughing as he rode the warmer currents up until he reached the cold front moving across the Oklahoma plains. For a minute he hovered right between the two, one half warm, the other cold, laughing at the sensation, until the wind tugged him away from the storm that was forming and rushing him over the Pacific.

"Wind, let's make a stop in Hawaii," called Jack. "I want to freeze some waves."

When the wind set him down on a deserted cove, Jack went to town freezing waves, laughing, and building sand creations that he then froze. The sun had not warmed the beach up yet, so Jack continued to play with Baby Tooth until it grew suddenly dark.

"Hello, Jack," cooed Pitch, leaning casually against the wall. "Enjoying a day at the beach, are we?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm having fun, yeah," said Jack, smirking. "Now go away, there's no one here to prey on and I'm not afraid of you."

"I actually came for two reasons," said Pitch studying his nails. "The first is because there's going to be a lot of fear here today. An earthquake off the coast is causing a tsunami to form as we speak and it's headed this direction. The second reason-"

Jack shot into the air, not waiting to hear the second reason.

"Baby Tooth, get the Guardians, I can't get the kids to safety but I can hold the wave back for a bit."

"Don't you want to hear reason number two, Jack?"

"Maybe later, Pitch, right now I have real problems to deal with."

With that, Jack flew out to sea keeping low to the waves until he spotted the one he was looking for. It wasn't much different than a normal wave this far out but Jack could feel the trouble and way the water did not want to let go. Jack flew in front of it, freezing the base all along the wave, slowing it's progress. It would not hold forever and he had to keep applying ice, which was only making it mad, but Jack knew a tsunami this fast forming would be deadly to the island and they needed any time he could buy them.

Suddenly, Baby Tooth was in his ear, telling him that the other Guardians were on the shore getting the kids to turn on the television and have their parents take them to safety.

"Thanks, Baby Tooth," panted Jack, pouring more ice into the rising wave. "Now get back to Tooth, I can't hold this thing forever and you don't want to be here when it gets loose."

Baby Tooth flew off, warning Jack to be careful. Jack just shot her a grin and tried to hold the wave in check.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" demanded a shrill, water female voice.

Jack looked up and saw a woman with straggly hair that was more seaweed than hair, her skin or salt than skin, and her face twisted in hate.

"Just freezing waves," said Jack with a strained smirk. "What about you?"

"Do you know who I am? I am Aquamortis and you're stopping my prize."

"Well, do you know who I am? I am Jack Frost and I freeze things."

"Oh I know you, Jack Frost," sneered Aquamortis. "You were the one that got away all those years ago but not this time."

With that, she launched into the air from the wave, swan diving to the boy who had no choice but to stay still and buy the children a few more seconds before Aquamortis barreled into him, dragging him under the water and letting the wave break free at last, furious and eager for shore.

Her hands were cold, raking long gashes up and down his arms, causing him to let go of his staff, which floated serenely to the surface while it's mast continued being pulled farther down. Jack fought, hitting, biting, anything, to get out of the grip of the water demon and out of the water he hated to much. He managed to get a good hit in and she let go. He kicked off her head and shot to the surface before her coral like hands raked down his legs, tearing flesh and muscle away from bones, causing his scream of agony to bubble up with his blood, water rushing down his lungs.

Satisfied that he would not be resurfacing, Aquamortis disappeared in a burst of bubbled to watch the destruction her wave had one the small island.

Jack felt his eyes closing as more blood drained out of his body to turn the water around him a diluted red as it spread out in a million different directions. Briefly he wondered if more sharks were blamed for the crazy spirits actions, but then his vision began to fade and his lungs quit aching and he supposed he should have cared more but he just did not. It was fitting, that he was alone, back in the watery grave that had almost claimed him centuries before.

_So that's what she meant,_ thought Jack with an inward chuckle. _She's the death by water spirit and I escaped her when the moon saved me. Well, no moon here this time…_

He knew he should be more concerned with all the red clouding his darkening vision, or how pleasantly warm he felt, but he just couldn't bring himself to care. He welcomed the darkness as his back settled on the sea floor, gently rocking with the current, invisible to the world as he left it.

***Hope you enjoyed it! Always-Ari**


	6. Water Fight pt 2

**Title- Water Fight pt 2**

**Summary- The one where Jack asks for a reason to live.**

**Characters- Jack Frost, Bunnymund, Sandman, Tooth, North**

**Rating- T**

"What do you mean he's not here?" demanded Bunny, furious as they gathered in a cave on the coast out of sight while Baby Tooth chattered to Tooth, who translated to the others.

"Stop yelling, Bunny!" snapped Tooth, distress written all over her features. "Baby Tooth says she saw him go under with a water spirit but that was minutes ago and he hasn't resurfaced.

"That's what I was trying to tell him before he rushed out to freeze the wave," said Pitch, emerging from the shadows. "Aquamortis was out there, ready to feed off the death and destruction her tsunami was about to cause. I came here to feed of the fear and she came here to feed on the death and after we were going to get dinner together, but now she's in a bad mood and I just can't deal with a pissy woman right now. There's a reason, after all, that I'm single."

"Aquamortis," said North, horror rising in his chest. "You mean, Water Death got Jack? Where is the boy now?"

"I assume still in the water," shrugged Pitch. "Well, I'm off, toodles!"

With that, Pitch disappeared back into the shadows.

"Did Pitch really just say toodles?" asked Tooth.

"I'm going after him," said Bunny, marching towards the cave entrance where the sleigh was parked. "North, get me over the water where Baby Tooth last saw Jack."

North obliged, not even commenting on the fact that Bunny was willingly getting in the sleigh, understanding the seriousness of the situation. North cared deeply for Jack, after all, but Bunny, Bunny was Jack's older brother and while they drove each other batty, Bunny would do anything to protect the kid from harm. No one messes with family.

Sandy spotted the staff first, bobbing along on the surface of the water, looking rather like driftwood without the friendly frost decorating the edges. Tooth flew down to fetch it was Bunny dove into the water.

He saw a few metres down before he saw the red.

Too much red.

An unnatural amount of red.

No one could lose that much red and be okay.

Who even possessed that much red?

And as he swam through all the red, he saw a spot of white.

Tainted, almost pink from all the red, but still white.

Bunny swam towards that, eyes zeroing in on the spot of white, trying to block out all the red and how his lungs ached, ignoring the burning sensation as salt water creeped up his nasal cavity and down the back of his throat, until his paw closed around a drifting arm in a tattered blue hoodie, gathered the boy close to his chest, and kicked off the ground with feet meant for jumping, hurtling through the watery grave and towards the surface like a bullet from a gun.

They broke out of the water like a great white shark and soft gold sand enveloped them, bring them up to the sleigh and depositing the pair on the ground.

"North pole, now," panted Bunny.

"He's not breathing," said Tooth, fluttering around. "He's not breathing. Why isn't he breathing? Bunny, do something! He should be breathing!"

"North Pole!" commanded North, tossing a globe into the air in front of the sleigh, snapping the reigns, causing the reindeer to jump into action, hopping through the swirling portal.

"Why is he still not breathing?" shrieked Tooth.

"He was under the damn water for ages, Tooth," growled Bunny, pumping the boys chest in an attempt to revive him. "He's not a fish, of course he's not breathing! Now shut up or I'll have Sandy knock you out."

_Come on, Jackie,_ thought Bunny.

Pump. Pump. Pump. Pump.

"Don't you dare give up on me," whispered Bunny. "I'm not going to make this easy on you."

Pump. Pump. Pump. Pump.

"Come on, you selfish bastard! Breathe!"

Pump. Pump.

"Bunny, we were too late," said North from somewhere to his right. "Let him go."

"No!" screamed Bunny.

Pump. Pump. Pump.

"Dammit Frostbite! I did not swim down to the bottom of the bloody ocean just for you to die!"

Pump.

"Bunny, please, he's gone," said Tooth gently, her voice broken.

"He. Is. Not. Gone."

Bunny pounded on Jack's chest with his fist, bruising ribs but unwilling to admit defeat.

Pump. Pump. Pump.

-Break-

Someone was dancing on his chest.

"Dammit Frostbite!"

Bunny, Bunny was dancing on his chest. It didn't hurt, it was just pressure, but it was a steady rhythm, like some 80's song he'd heard once. But why the hell was Bunny dancing on is chest in the first place? Bunny hated dancing.

"He. Is. Not. Gone."

_Of course I'm not gone, I'm right here_, thought Jack, mentally shaking his head.

He was warm and the only other sensation he felt was when Bunny touched his chest, otherwise he was floating.

"Come on, Jack, let's go play," called his sister's voice.

Jack remembered they had been playing before Bunny's dancing had pulled him back.

"Jackie, please," begged Bunny, so softly Jack wasn't even sure he heard it. "You can't leave me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything, for never listening, for leaving you alone, for never protecting you like I should, I know I've never given you a reason to stay-"

_Then just give me a reason, just one reason why I should stay_, thought Jack.

"-but I swear, if you stay, I'll never ignore you again. I'll even let you teach me how to skate. You can decorate some of the eggs. You can even help me hide them. But you have to stay, mate. I know it hurts, but I'll make it go away. Just please, don't leave me…..stay, and I'll be the best big brother you ever had. Please."

With a sign, Jack felt more of his surroundings, his legs that seemed like they were on fire, his arms that wanted to fall off, but most prominently the fullness of his chest as it tried to drown him.

-Break-

"Please," whispered Bunny.

Pump.

Cough.

Jack began coughing, salt water spewing out of his lungs and stomach onto the floor of the sleigh. He couldn't breathe as he coughed, trying to expel the liquid and take in the much needed air at the same time.

"That's it!" cheered Bunny, turning Jack painfully on his side as more water than seemed possible continued to flow out. "Good boy, Jackie, good boy. I've got you, there you go, just get it out."

At last, the coughing gave way to desperate gasps as he greedily sucked in as much air as he could to his oxygen deprived lungs could get.

"I've got you," soothed Bunny, rocking the boy in a smooth motion.

"H-hurts," gasped Jack, hating the need to waste precious air on talk but needing to remind Bunny of his promise to make the pain go away.

"I know, Jackie," said Bunny, nudging his temple with his nose. "We're going to fix you up, alright, mate? Now, it's going to hurt, but I have to take you into the workshop. So just hold on, I'll be-"

"As qu-quick as a-a-a bunny?" whispered Jack, burying his face into the still damp fur.

Bunny managed a weak chuckle before standing with the still bleeding boy in his arms and making his way to the infirmary.

"How is he still bleeding?" rattled Tooth behind them. "No one can lose that much blood and be okay. And how did he come back? He was dead? Oh, this is just cruel, we lost him once and now we're going to lose him again because all that blood, there's just too much!"

"Sandy," grunted North.

Sandy obligingly threw a handful of sand onto the Tooth Fairy, catching her when she slumped down in sleep, shaking his head and setting her on the couch of the globe room as they passed it. Silently, he chuckled to himself; he had used admittedly a bit more dream sand than needed, but he couldn't resist, it wasn't every day, afterall, that he had permission to knock out a fellow Guardian.

"Bunny, she had a point," said North quietly as Bunny set Jack onto a bed, red instantly staining the white sheets and still dripping from the Pooka's fur. "How is he going to survive with so much blood loss?"

***Did not mean to make this a continuation story, but I decided it was cruel to kill Jack...yet anyway. And there will be a third part.**

**As always, reviews welcome, requests adored, and all that jazz.**

**Always-Ari**


	7. MayDay

**Title- MayDay**

**Summary- The one where Jack wants to spend time with North and Bunny, they say no, and discover Jack rides the wind.**

**Characters- Jack Frost, Bunnymund, North**

**Rating-T**

"It's the middle of May," said North. "This is not a good idea."

"It's not hot there right now," said Jack, floating around in his excitement. "Please?"

"Mate, it's just not a smart idea," said Bunny, leaning back in his chair at the North Pole. "Not right now."

"I wasn't asking permission," said Jack, his eyes flashing. "I was inviting you to tag along. I'm 300 years old, I don't need anyone's permission to go anywhere or do anything. If you don't want to go, fine, I'll go myself."

With that, Jack let his feet briefly touch North's worktable before launching out of the perpetually open window, a small gust of wind ruffling a few papers.

"Jack, wait," called North, but the young spirit was already gone.

"He'll be fine," said Bunny, yawning.

"No," said North, pushing away from his work. "He finally invited us into his life and to do something with him and we rejected that. We're going to meet him."

"Fine," sighed Bunny.

Bunny had no problem going to meet up with Jack. The only reason he'd said no was because he didn't want the kid to get a big head or know the Easter Bunny had grown fond of him. In reality, he was planning on surprising Jack and showing up anyway. North gave him a surprised look but didn't comment on how quickly he agreed.

"To the sleigh!"

"I'll meet you there, I'm taking my tunnels."

North shrugged as Bunny tapped the ground twice and disappeared through the tunnel, hopping at top speeds.

He arrived just as Jack got there, still in the air.

"Jack?" called Bunny, looking up as Jack swirled on the wind, mixing with angry clouds, his white hair standing out against all the grey. "Get out of there!"

Jack couldn't hear him and just kept spinning.

The air was heavy and wind unruly and started tossing Jack as he got closer to his destination.

"Wind, relax, would you?" called Jack, adjusting his hold on his staff. "Calm down. It looks like we're about to hit some weather, let's head north to the city."

The wind simply ignored him, caught in the swirling vortex as a storm began to find it's stride in Oklahoma. He wanted to go to Oklahoma to ride the cold front as it moved through, he always enjoyed riding the currents, seeing the land, just floating along lazily. It wasn't until he was over Oklahoma that he realized his mistake; it wasn't smart to ride any cold front through Oklahoma in May or June. He had just been so caught up in the fun of making winter last in Minnesota and other northern states that he flew down without thinking. His only stop was when he popped into the North Pole to invite Bunny and North to join him in Oklahoma for an afternoon jaunt and to watch the sun set but they thought it would be to warm for him and said no.

"Wind, set me down please," said Jack, worry slipping into his voice as he felt himself get pulled into a rotation. "Wind, now please."

But the wind was no longer listening and as a funnel formed, not very large but dropping and quick, Jack realized he could either let go of his staff and take the fall of he'd have to ride it out. He decided to ride it out. From his past experiences with tornadoes he knew most didn't stay on the ground long and if he stayed towards the top he could avoid most of the dangerous debris. In a way, it was a twisted amusement ride if he could look at it that way, try to find any sort of fun without having control.

"Jack!"

"That sounded like Bunny," said Jack to himself, a habit he had not quite dropped in the month he had spent talking with the Guardians.

Jack looked down and spotted Bunny standing on the ground before he was whipped around. He waved as he passed again but as he raised his hand, he lost what little grip he had on the wind and slipped down into the funnel section just as it touched down for real, settled on the ground as if it were a strange tree, picking up grass, dirt, and anything it felt like. The wind screamed as it's favorite child was tossed into the middle of a growing tornado and as the wind despaired, the tornado grew and started moving.

From the ground, Bunny was at a loss. One moment Jack was riding a rotation the next he disappeared into the center. For a moment, Bunny watched, everything in his body telling him to get out of there and find cover, but then his eyes were drawn in the direction the tornado was headed and he spotted it. He hit the ground running, passing North as the man landed his sleigh in a field.

"Where's Jack?" asked North.

"Forstbite's in the tornado," called Bunny as he sprinted past. "Things headed towards town. We gotta head it off and try to get the kids safe."

North whipped his sleigh around and began the process of clearing the path of the twister. Bunny ran ahead of him and tried to get people off the streets but there were few to be found. Most had taken cover already, hearing it on the news or seeing it for themselves. The adults couldn't see him, but he took time to comfort as many children as he could before moving on and staying ahead of the monster.

Jack, in the middle of the beast, curled in on himself trying to protect his staff as he flew, knowing if he lost it then he would never find it again.

"Sh, calm down, wind," shouted Jack into the din. "Please, calm down, you're making to worse."

In reply, the wind screamed because that was all it could do, scream. And scream. And scream. Until, after miles of screaming, it ran out of voice and spit the winter child out, tossing him into a field, where he rolled for several yards before coming to a stop, staring at dark sky.

For a time, Jack watched the sky boil and fume as if it were mad at the land for existing. Or perhaps it was mad at Jack of escaping. Somehow, it just didn't matter to Jack why the sky was mad, all he knew was that it was furious for some reason and it was raining and he was too exhausted to care.

"Jack!" yelled Bunny, bounding over to the boy on the ground, his blue hoodie slowly staining from the red dirt mud puddle he'd landed in.

"Loud," groaned Jack, trying to push his tired body into a sitting position. "Stop yelling."

"Whoa, easy there mate," said Bunny, kneeling in the mud next to him. "Slow down."

"But it's wet," whined Jack, unwilling to go back to the flooding ground, supporting himself on shaking arms.

"What were you doing, riding a tornado like that? Are you daft? You could have been killed."

"Oh yeah, because I just love riding EF4 tornadoes as they rip through towns and cities," snapped Jack, his arms giving way but Bunny caught him at North landed a few yards away. "I didn't do it on purpose, I just wanted to ride the cold front before the sun set."

"Jack, are you alright?" asked North, running over to the two Guardians. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"Too loud," groaned Jack, burying his face in Bunny's fur, surprising everyone.

"Alright, we'll talk when we get back to the pole," said Bunny gently, picking up the boy and talking over to the sleigh.

"What happened?" asked North, climbing into the front of the sleigh and picking up a snow globe.

"He's overheated," said Bunny, placing Jack on the seat next to him. "And he was in the middle of the monster. Let's just get him back to the pole and talk then."

"North Pole," whispered North, tossing the globe.

A portal opened and North snapped his reindeer into action.

"Ow," whimpered Jack, trying to curl around his body at the sudden movement.

"Hold on, mate," said Bunny, holding the boy against him to prevent more movement. "North, go easy there, not all made of fat."

"Sorry," said North over his shoulder.

"S'fine," said Jack into Bunny's fur. "Just sore."

"Whatever, Frostbite."

"The people, are they alright?"

"Most of them are."

"But some of them aren't alright, correct? You don't have to sugar coat it, Bunny, I've seen these things before, I was in the middle of this one, that thing leveled whatever stood in it's way. I know not everyone is okay."

"We don't know how many didn't make it," admitted Bunny. "It wasn't pretty, but it could have been worse."

"Don't worry about it, Jack," said North. "They've been through this before. It is tragedy, but they were already doing what they do best in such situations, pulling together and figuring it out, when we left. They will be fine."

"Too much destruction," yawned Jack, leaning heavily against Bunny as they made their way into the workshop.

"They will rebuild," said Bunny. "It's not going to be easy, it's not going to be fun, and people lost everything, but it's not the end of the world. I'm the Guardian of Hope, you're the Guardian of Fun, when you're better we can go back and instill that in the families. Would that work for you?"

"Can we go now?" asked Jack, curling up next to Bunny on the couch as Sandy floated through the window.

"No, we can go after you sleep a bit."

"You're not the boss of me," said Jack, more asleep than awake.

"But hey, eyes on me, Jackie. First you gotta tell me where it hurts so I can fix it, then you can sleep and we can get to spreading hope and fun. Deal?"

"Deal."

Jack made the effort to pull off his hoodie, revealing bruises, a fractured arm, and two broken hands and fingers. North fetched some bandages and Bunny wrapped the poor boy up before Sandy sent him to sleep and they let him rest on the couch by the window. The three drew up chairs by the sleeping boy and settled down, reflecting over the days event.

"I didn't know Jack couldn't fly," said Bunny.

"What do you mean?" asked North, his eyebrows disappearing into his snowy hair. "Of course boy can fly. He's always flying around here."

"No, he rides the wind," corrected Bunny. "I thought he just flew on his own, but he doesn't. That's why he couldn't get out of the tornado today. The wind was stronger than he was."

"He did well."

"There's more to him than I thought."

"There's always more to a person than originally we think. We have much to learn about Jack."

Bunny nodded, leaning back and shutting his eyes.

"Sandy, make sure the kid gets a good amount of sleep before he wakes up. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."

"I think you just want a nap, old friend," chuckled North.

Bunny turned his shoulder to Santa, ignoring him, and fell asleep, knowing he'd need all the energy he could get for the long haul ahead.

***Sorry for the long wait, and I will finish the other arc, I was just super busy. It (probably) won't happen again.**

**The tornadoes that struck Oklahoma today were devastating, if you can help, please consider it. **

**Requests welcome, reviews adored, flames (within reason) tolerated. Always-Ari**


	8. Water Fight Pt 3

**Title-Water Fight Pt 3**

**Summary- The one where Jack needs fixing up after a water fight gone wrong.  
**

**Characters- Bunnymund, Jack Frost, North, Sandman**

**Rating-T**

The pain grew until he reached a new level where he was almost numb because of it all. Staring at the ceiling as Bunny and North worked to try and stitch him back together, Jack allowed his mind to wander to distract from what was happening, from the ghosting tug of needles piercing skin.

_We are afraid of ourselves, of our own reality, _thought Jack, eyes focusing on the furry face that gave him a reason to stay. _ We're afraid of our feelings most of all. People talk about how great love is and all but that's the biggest lie I've ever heard. Love hurts. Love hurts a lot. Feelings are disturbing. We are taught that pain is evil and dangerous but how can they deal with love if they're afraid to feel? Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain…I try to hide my pain, but we're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a book or hat or staff. You feel your strength in the experience of pain. And it's all in how you carry it. That's what matters most, I guess, how you carry yourself through the pain. Because pain is a feeling. Your feelings are a part of you, your own reality, that reality so many people are scared of. If you feel ashamed of it, and hide it, you're letting the world destroy your reality. You should stand up for your right to feel your pain._

His thoughts petered out after that; Sandy must have taken pity on him at last, letting him drift into silence and golden dreams of sand and laughing and that's it.

"Thanks, mate," whispered Bunny, finishing the last stitch on Jack's left arm. "His mutterings were starting to freak me out a bit."

"I can't imagine the pain he must be in now," said North, throwing out some bloody gauze. "There's just so much blood."

"Seriously, you have to go if you're going to keep harping on that," snapped Bunny. "We see how much blood there is, North! Now shut up about it or leave, at this point I really don't care which."

North stood, shocked by the outburst. Normally Bunny was level headed in a crisis, taking it all in stride and allowing everyone a little wiggle room, but this time he was not putting up with anything. North raised his bushy eyebrows at Sandy but the golden man was at a loss as well and just shrugged. They got back to work and stayed silent after that.

To Bunny, it took too long to finish sewing the boy back together and putting limbs back in their proper places. Sandy stayed to keep a constant stream of fresh dreams to entertain the winter child while his body could not handle to pain while awake. The Dream Master had it pretty easy as Jack's mind was never at rest, always hurtling on to the next thought and idea, all Sandy needed to do was make sure he stayed asleep. Eventually, after all of the tugging, setting, and bandaging was finished, Jack slipped into a sleep too deep to be reached by dreams and Sandy left to spread his golden sand to the rest of the world. North went to his own personal workshop and occupied his mind with new designs to distract from his worry of Jack. Bunny slumped in a chair next to Jack and fell into an exhausted sleep.

Hours later a soft groan heard only by Bunny's sensitive ears woke the Pooka out of his slumber. He was on his feet and looking around before his brain caught up with his body and reminded him that he was at the North Pole with Jack. That brought his gaze over to Jack's bed to find the boy attempting to sit up on his own.

"Whoa there, Frostbite," said Bunny, placing a few spare pillows behind the young charge. "You just woke up, take it easy for a bit, would you? How are you feeling?"

"Sore," said Jack, his voice rough. "I don't think I like that water spirit, Aqua something or other. She's kind of a-"

"Don't say it," said Bunny. "I already know. I think Tooth went to have a chat with her."

"Ha, I would hate to be her right now," chuckled Jack weakly. "Wait, where's my staff?"

"Just right there," said Bunny, pointing to the side of the bed. "But if you try to fly off and lick your wounds in some frozen cave so help me I will find your frozen ass and drag it back to this bed and give your staff to the elves to play with."

"You wouldn't."

"I worked too hard to keep you alive to risk you spoiling everything with that lone wolf habit of yours."

Jack rolled his eyes-the action that didn't seem to cause him pain-but a small grin couldn't be stopped from taking over his face.

"Hey mate," said Bunny, settling back in the chair next to the bed. "Before, when North and I were trying to stitch you up, you kept muttering something about pain and feelings. What was that all about?"

"Nothing," said Jack, his eyes dropping tiredly.

"Come on, I won't let you sleep until you tell me. Or better yet, I'll tell Tooth when she gets back that you chipped a tooth but I won't tell her which. She'll be inspecting your mouth for hours if I do that."

"You're worse than I am," groaned Jack. "Fine, whatever. I was trying to distract myself from everything that was going on-do you know how weird it feels to feel your skin being pulled back together but not really feel it at the same time?-anyway, I was just thinking about how everyone spends so much time pretending they don't feel pain and acting as if feeling pain of any sort is a bad thing but we are still expected to love. And loving is painful. It's a contradiction or oxymoron or something."

"Love isn't painful."

"Don't be daft, Bunny," yawned Jack. "You lost your entire race. Tell me that doesn't hurt."

"It does hurt but love doesn't hurt."

"No, it only hurts because you loved them. If you hadn't cared a bit you wouldn't have felt that pain. Love is painful, anyone who tells you different is trying to sell you something. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm saying people are crazy to think pain is something to get rid of when it goes hand in hand with love. Pick a team."

With that, Jack fell back asleep still propped up by the pillows which seemed to ease his breathing, leaving Bunny to sit and wonder at the boy, so immature and perpetually stuck as a teenager, who seemed to have a better grasp at how emotions and life worked then those centuries older and years more mature. One thing was for sure- Jack Frost would never cease to surprise him.

***The End of the Water Fight group! Well, unless I suddenly think that it needs a fourth part, but I doubt that will happen. I'm rather excited for the next story, which will be up...tomorrow? Yeah sure, tomorrow.**

**Hope you enjoyed it! Always-Ari**


	9. All that is Gold

**Title-All the is Gold**

**Summary- The one where Jack is confronted about his scars but it's not what it seems.**

**Characters-Jack Frost, North, Bunnymund, Sandman, Tooth**

**Rating-T**

It wasn't the fact that Jack never took off his hoodie that bothered North, it was the fact that he never so much as rolled up his sleeves that bothered the Guardian of Wonder. As Jack zoomed around the Globe Room while North tried to conduct a meeting with the other Guardians, Jack only adjusted his sleeves to pull them down. It was difficult to track the boy as he flitted from one location to the next, one moment sitting on top of the Globe the next hanging upside down on the rafters.

"Oi!" yelled Bunny, getting fed up. "Frostbite, get your butt down here now and sit still so we can get this meeting over with. I have eggs to tend."

"Fine," said Jack, smirking. "But only because you asked so nicely, Kangaroo."

Jack jumped easily into a seat next to Sandy and across from Bunny. It was their fifth meeting and had established seats, Jack's being more forced upon him because he didn't like sitting and when he got to chose his own seat he sat next to Bunny which resulted in a fight, so North put a table between them so they at least had to work for it.

"Jack, how goes winter?" asked Tooth.

"It's kind of my off season right now," said Jack. "With it being fall and Amber the fall spirit hates it when I spread a little fun in September."

"Oh, and you'll listen to the spirit of fall but not the Easter Bunny?" said Bunny, rolling his eyes.

"I never said I paid attention to her," said Jack, leaning back in his chair. "Which would explain why I was early for the meeting today; I gave England a snow day. All of England. She wasn't happy. I thought it best to hang out here and let it blow over."

He put his hands behind his head in a self satisfied way while Bunny worked to hide a grin from Tooth.

"Jack, you shouldn't mess with other seasons," chided Tooth. "How would you like it if someone messed with your season?"

"No one messes with winter," shrugged Jack.

The way he said it made it sound more like _If anyone tried to mess with winter they would regret it more than anything else._

"And is there a story behind that statement you care to share with the class?" asked Bunny.

"Jack, what is on your wrist?" ask North suddenly, snatching Jack's arm and pulling back the sleeve to inspect it.

There, resting on the pale skin like moonlight on snow, were several slim scars running across Jack's wrist. All of the Guardian's stared at the scars as if staring would make them go away but nothing could make them disappear.

A question mark formed over Sandy's head.

"Jack, what happened to your wrist?" asked Tooth.

"Have you been….cutting?" asked North, his giant hand still dwarfing Jack's arm.

"No, it's not what you think," said Jack quickly, trying to slip his arm out of North's grip. "Now give me my arm back."

"Jack, you don't have to lie to us," said Tooth gently as Jack managed to reclaim his limb at last.

"I'm not lying," said Jack, his face a bit bewildered. "It's really not what you're thinking."

"Then what is it, mate?" asked Bunny.

The scars hit the Guardian of Hope like a blow to the gut because he only found those on the children who had lost almost all of their hope and needed him most. The problem was he didn't sense a loss of hope in Jack. In fact, Jack seemed to be brimming with hope, a strange, desperate tasting hope but hope all the same.

"It was an accident," said Jack. "Okay, well maybe not but it I couldn't really figure out a better way to keep control of my powers at first."

"Wait, what?" said North, shocked. "You'd better start from the beginning."

"And don't skip anything," said Bunny fiercely.

"Then get comfortable," said Jack reluctantly. "Seriously. And no interrupting. And for the record I am only telling you because I don't want you thinking I'm suicidal or something."

"Noted."

"Just be tell us what happened, sweetie," said Tooth gently.

"It goes back to when I was created. I woke up and it was dark and cold and I was scared."

_They couldn't see him. No one could see him. People walked through him as if he was the fog. So he left the village and wandered farther into the forest._

_"Am I a ghost? Is that it?" yelled Jack to the moon as it was setting. _

_Silence._

_"Look at me, I'm talking to the moon," said Jack, rubbing the back of his head. "Even worse, I'm talking to myself."_

_Jack dropped his staff and ran right into a tree. He hit it with a thud and bounced back._

_"Well, that settles the ghost question," said Jack, standing back up. "Ghosts don't hit trees. So a spirit it is, I suppose."_

_Jack picked up his staff again and watched as frost once again spread along the wood. It began snowing as his emotions of confusion welled up in his chest._

_"Spirit of Winter?" guessed Jack. "Spirit of Snow? Oh wait, my name is Jack Frost, so Spirit of Frost it is."_

_So he began experimenting with his powers. For years he flew around, figuring out how to make it snow as opposed to blizzard but there was always a problem._

_In 1768, Easter morning, Jack was sitting on a tree branch watching the sky._

_"Oi!" yelled Bunny, finally spotting the young winter spirit after searching for hours. "Make this snow go away."_

_"I'm trying," said Jack._

_"Just send it off or whatever it is you do," snarled the overworked Pooka. "It's spring and I don't have time to deal with your mischief. Why do you even bother? No one likes snow. These storms kill people."_

_"I know, but I'm trying-"_

_"That's not good enough! Do something useful and make it all disappear and then follow it's lead and disappear too!"_

_Jack jumped off the branch and into the air, flying on the wind, the one trick he had almost entirely mastered. Once flying in the air, Jack pulled a hand out of his pocket and in it grew an icicle. Slowly, painfully, he drew it across his wrist drawing a line of blood that dripped down with the snow. He let out a hiss of pain but the snow began to slow. He knew the damage was done, that it would take at least a half hour to slow at the surface, but it was the best he could do. He didn't know how to handle his powers, he hated having to hurt himself to make it work, but the pain helped him focus and grip his powers better. Bunny seemed pretty furious, so Jack thought it was better to just get a grip, bite his lip, and deal._

_That night, after fleeing to Russia to hide in the snow, Jack thought about what his life for the past almost 60 years had been like. Both of his wrists ached but the snow had stopped so he was satisfied. Over the years he had caught glimpse of each of the Guardians, Sandy he had even spoken to a few times but Bunny was his favorite. He couldn't explain it but there was something about the oversized rabbit that just made Jack want to annoy him. It was probably because Bunny was the first Guardian he had ever met but whatever the reason Jack found such joy in getting Bunny riled up._

_That wasn't the first time Jack had to cut himself to get a hold of the weather. He had actually sought out the Easter Bunny originally because he was a seasonal spirit of sorts and may have tips on how to control his powers. But Jack's requests had been met with sarcastic comments and being thrown out on his rear end, so the winter boy had learned to manage in a way._

_It wasn't the first time Jack had cut himself but it was the last. After that blizzard Jack went to Antarctica and worked until he could stop a full blown blizzard at his first wish. He could start a storm without effort and it took him decades but he finally managed to figure out how to throw snowballs infused with magic._

"It wasn't personal," said Jack, seeing the look of guilt on Bunny's face as he sat across the table from the Pooka.

"You cut yourself because I yelled at you," said Bunny, his voice thick with his accent and filled with disgust towards himself. "I didn't know you didn't know how to control your powers. I'm sorry."

"Relax," laughed Jack. "It pushed me to figure it out faster. I just want you all to know that I didn't do it because I was lonely or scared or hurting."

He didn't have to say it, the other Guardians knew what wasn't being said.

_I did other things to distract from the pain and loneliness._

Everyone knew but they weren't going to acknowledge it because just like some things weren't as they seemed, others were too difficult, too fresh, to talk about at all.

***A different take on the scars from the movie. You know, in case you wanted to see a different point of view. Always-Ari**


	10. Tatted Up

**Title-Tatted Up**

**Summary-The one where Jack has a tattoo and the Guardians want to know where.**

**Characters- Jack, Bunnymund, Tooth, North, Sandman**

**Rating-K+**

Sitting in the air just above Niagara Falls, Jack looked at the thundering mass as if it would talk to him. The moon was shining down, it's beams dancing around as if laughing at what the winter boy was going to because it had seen this scene before several times. After several minutes, Jack pointed his staff at the waterfall and shot a blast of power to it, leaving the entire thing frozen totally solid. Jack proceeded to skate on it, swirling, jumping, laughing, and when he got too close to the edge to turn, flying into thin air, tumbling in a fit a joyous giggles. After a few hours of that and the sun starting to rise, spotted the Northern Lights and flew up with the wind into the heart of them, laughing as the lights swirled and danced around him. He made his way slowly to the North Pole, not curious about why the meeting was being called. If it was truly and emergency then North would have sent-

"Don't you know that the Northern Lights mean hurry up?" yelled Bunny from the ground, jumping up and tackling the low flying spirit so they both tumbled to the snow.

"Get off me, you over grown garden pest," said Jack, standing and dusting off the powder. "You could've just asked nicely."

"And miss the opportunity to mess with you? No, I just wanted to catch you first and give you the chance to fess up. I was over checking on Sophie and her brother Jamie told me the most interesting thing."

"Well you know Jamie, full of interesting facts."

"He told me you have a tattoo."

Jack froze. Bunny smirked at the reaction, knowing he had just discovered a mound of dirt on the ever cocky and teasing winter spirit.

"Now why would you believe Jamie on something like that?" said Jack, one eyebrow lifting.

"It's true!" crowed Bunny, stomping his foot. "I can't wait to tell the others! Oh, this is brilliant!"

Bunny jumped through the rabbit hole and disappeared leaving a winter rose in his place. Jack groaned.

"Wind, take me to the workshop please," sighed Jack, jumping up, letting the wind catch him. "All I wanted to do was play on the falls and then freeze the side of one of the pyramids in Egypt. Is that so much to ask?"

The wind whistled in his ears, it's way of laughing.

-Break-

"Just tell us what it is," begged Bunny.

"And where it is!" chimed in North, roaring with laughter, sitting in his large armchair.

It turns out the big emergency that warranted lighting up the sky was that Bunny had alerted the others he had big news-Jack's tattoo-and that was it. So all five Guardians sat in North's living room, a fire roaring in the fireplace, chairs comfortable, and books surrounding the walls that weren't occupied by windows. Jack sat in the rafters, one leg swinging, the wood frosted over, staff crossed in front of him as he held it. His hood remained down but he refused to come down.

"Come on, Jack, be a sport," said Tooth, a grin on her face but she remained grounded-Jack could freeze her wings if he wanted.

"It's not that big of a deal," said Jack.

"At least tell us what it is," said Tooth, purple eyes imploring.

"Excellent question, Sandy," said Jack, pointing to the golden Guardian who was sipping his hot chocolate. "For those of you who didn't see, Sandy asked how I got a tattoo when no one can see me."

Everyone froze. The Guardians never knew how to react to the subject of Jack's centuries of isolation. For the most part they ignored it and that seemed to work for everyone.

"The answer, little man, is that the tattoo is new," smirked Jack. "And Tooth, it is a unicorn."

"You can't be serious, mate!" spluttered Bunny, rolling on the floor laughing. "A unicorn? You could have gotten a tattoo of anything you wanted and you got a unicorn?"

"I let Sophie pick it out," said Jack, looking down at the Easter Bunny, an unimpressed look on his face.

"You let a four year old pick out your tattoo? You're insane!"

"Where is the unicorn?" chuckled North, willing to give Jack a chance.

"It's a unicorn, it's elusive," smirked Jack. "Don't hate on the unicorn tattoo. Unicorns are cool."

"Naw mate, bowties are cool, unicorns are girly."

"Well, as a girl did pick it out, so I suppose that it was a good choice for her."

"I think a unicorn tattoo is majestic," said Tooth. "But really Jack, where is it?"

At last Jack jumped down from the rafter and landed lightly on the ground much like one of the trillions of snowflakes he created.

"I will show you the tattoo on one condition," said Jack.

"Whatever you want," said North, eager to see the majestic beast hidden somewhere on the winter boy.

"Okay, then to the sleigh!" cheered Jack, flying down the hall.

"This had better be worth it, North," grumbled Bunny, following, reluctantly, but following nonetheless.

Jack directed them to Egypt where night had just fallen. They landed the sleigh and made their way to the top of the tallest pyramid. There, Jack froze the side of the pyramid and a ways down, giddy with excitement.

"We're going sledding down the side of the pyramid!" said Jack, barely able to contain his excitement as he handed everyone a plastic sled. "This is going to be epic!"

It took some convincing but eventually even Bunny went down, Jack hovering expertly as everyone took their turn, making sure there was enough ice and room, before he took his turn, laughing with a laugh that was like bells and infectious causing all of the others to collapse in a heap of giggles. They laughed all the way back to the North Pole, a first for Bunny in the sleigh.

"Now Jack, you promised," said North, relaxing in a large winged armchair. "Show us the tattoo."

"There's no need to be embarrassed, sweetie," said Tooth in a motherly tone. "North and Bunny both have tattoos."

"Yeah, but ours are a bit more manly than a unicorn," smirked Bunny. "I mean, North named his arms Naughty and Nice and mine are warrior tattoos of my people."

"Okay, here it is," sighed Jack lifting up the side of his hoodie to reveal his side.

There was a sparkling unicorn, white and pink with a mane full of starlight, the size of a hand. The unicorn seemed to be dancing and against Jack's snowy skin it seemed more mythical than usual. The sparkles caught the light in a way that gave it life, making it look as if it could fly off of the boys body at any moment. It was beautiful.

"Jack," said Tooth slowly. "That's gorgeous. But are you sure it's something you're going to want for the rest of eternity?"

"Sophie picked it out, how could I say no?" said Jack, his eyes glittering with mischief.

"How did you get the glitter on there, mate?" asked Bunny, trying his hardest to be supportive now that he realized Jack was going to be stuck forever with a unicorn riding his hip.

"Oh, I just had them mix it in with the ink," shrugged Jack. "Phil actually did it for me off of a picture Sophie picked out. And you know glitter, it's the herpes of the art world, you can never get rid of it."

"Herpes?" asked North, tearing his eyes away from the tattoo to look at Jack in confusion. "What are herpes?"

"Seriously? You all have got to get out more."

They eventually decided to hold their meeting early and that night as Jack rode the wind he couldn't help laughing at himself for forgetting to mention that the tattoo would wash off in a week. Somehow with the Guardians all teasing him about having a tattoo in the first place and then trying to be supportive and nice about it once they saw it and Jack laughing inwardly the entire time, it slipped his mind to tell them. Some things were better left unsaid.

***This was a request by Guest. **

**Another request up next. You'll see which one when I post it. Always-Ari**


	11. It's so Fluffy

**Title- It's so Fluffy**

**Summary- The one where Jack get's a pet.**

**Characters- Jack Frost, Bunnymund**

**Rating-K**

It was the middle of summer and Jack was burrowed deep in Antarctica. Over the years he had spent time forming an intricate series of caves and tunnels under the uninhabitable continent, lighting it with moonlight he captured in little blocks of ice and froze. It was a beautiful place, clear blue walls, lightly frosted floors, and always a new place to explore. When the storms got too bad Jack would take the young penguins down out of the wind and let them warm up in the protected area. He didn't live there but he loved having it as a project, something to play with during the long spring and fall months. The animals of the continent would periodically make homes for themselves in one of the many corners of the underground world, something Jack encouraged more than prevented. After all, he had no use for so many rooms.

She was alone and cold and tiny and when Jack found her he couldn't just leave her behind. After a quick search about the surrounding area Jack found what he was looking for-just not in the condition he was hoping to find it in. Quickly freezing the remains and sending it out with the tide in a frozen burial, Jack returned to the tiny little mess and picked her up.

"Hey there, little one," said Jack softly, inspecting her for any wounds. "Sh, you're okay. I've got you. I know, I know, you're cold and probably hungry. Look, I'm going to get you something to eat, just hold on."

Jack set the small, shivering little animal in the deep hood of his jacket and flew to the closest place he knew he could find help being sure to keep low so the animal could breathe easier and not freeze during the trip.

"Bunny!" called Jack as he landed lightly on his feet in the Warren. "Bunny, I know you're here. Come on, look and see what I have! She's adorable and tiny and you'll love her."

"I told you not to bring Sophie here during her naptime," grumbled Bunny, stalking over the hill. "She'll be cranky and that's not pleasant for anyone."

"Sophie is spending the week with her grandmother you old grouch," smirked Jack, his hand fishing the animal out of his hood.

"What have you got there, Frostbite?" asked Bunny, curious, his nose twitching at the new smells that came with the tiny creature. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Hermione," said Jack, handing the little stoat-short tailed weasel- to Bunny to look over. "She's an orphan and she's hungry but I don't know how to feed her."

"Hermione?" said Bunny, inspecting Jack before heading to his burrow to care for the little one. "How on earth did you settle on that name?"

"Well, it's a girl, so that explains the 'her' part and people call her an ermine, so that's where that came from. But I think Minnie will do for short."

"You're a strange one," said Bunny, shaking his head. "But Minnie here needs to be fed. Here, I'll show you how to care for her this one time but then she's your responsibility; I don't need another kit to take care of, you're a big enough handful and you're not even my responsibility."

Jack shot him a glare but hovered anxiously as Bunny demonstrated how to properly feed the little animal and what to feed her. When Minnie was fed, Jack picked her up. Shakily she curled her way up his arm, over his shoulder, and into his hood where she fell fast asleep.

"Well, thanks Bunny, I'll see you at the next meeting," said Jack, jumping up into the air.

"Wait one second there, Frostbite," said Bunny, grabbing the eternal teens ankle before he could fly off. "Do you even know the first thing about taking care of a living creature?"

"You're joking, right?" said Jack, his face one of disbelief. "I did take care of myself for 300 years and over that time I have taken care of a few sick animals. Shockingly enough that's what happens when you live in nature, you meet a lot of animals that may or may not need your help. I've just never had a Minnie before."

"And you don't have a place to stay or way to feed her?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing. Come on, relax, it's me, what could possibly go wrong?"

With that Jack was flying off to wherever it was he went when he was alone.

"That's what worries me, so much could go wrong," said Bunny, looking after where the young winter spirit had disappeared.

Bunny lasted about twelve and a half minutes before he headed to the one place he could think to look for Jack, his lake.

"So Minnie," Jack was saying, lounging on his stomach as his new friend sniffed the dirt that was lightly frosted. "This is where I like to spend time. Sometimes I like to freeze this forest in summer to make the other spirits mad. But we can't stay here long because Summer will notice and I don't really feel like getting into that right now. But I wanted you to see this place. It's one of my favorite places in the entire world.

"Tonight I will introduce you to Sandy. He'll love you but you have to behave because he is tricky. Honestly he could probably give me a run for my money in the trouble making area. Tooth is going to flip out when she sees you but she is cool, you know, after she calms down, which is never. She pretty much constantly acts like she has taken coffee by IV for ten years straight without doing anything and someone just let her out of the loony bin. You'll get used to it. North is…well, like a volcano. He's large, loud, and interesting. I guess he is alright, just don't let him give you the center speech because I'm not sure but I think he ate a small child somewhere in the wooden doll of his.

"And then there is Bunny. Now Bunny is the one you already met but you're pretty lucky that he wasn't in one of his moods. He's pretty much always in one of his moods. He acts like he's the coolest thing to ever walk the planet but honestly he's just an overgrown house pet that you can house train. I don't think anyone had told him that yet, though. We all pretty much just let him think he is some ninja fighter warrior race from a different planet, so don't tell him the truth, got it Minnie? Well, we had better get going, it's too warm here for me."

"Why you little-" began Bunny, advancing towards the winter spirit who had already put his prize and launched into the air, soaring off to a cooler climate.

Up in the clouds Jack smirked as Minnie and he looked down on the Easter Bunny.

"That'll teach him to eavesdrop," said Jack. "Come on, Minnie, let's go freeze his Warren while he's fuming."

***Requested by...I forget, but someone wanted Jack with a pet. Always-Ari**


	12. Alone Now

**Title-Alone Now**

**Summary-The one where there's a desert and someone leaks.**

**Characters-Jack Frost, Bunnymund**

**Rating-T**

"Nightmares in the Sahara Desert in mid July is not where I would have staged a battle," said Jack as sweat rolled off the winter spirit's face and onto a Nightmare that was too close. "But no one ever asks me."

"If we asked you," shouted Bunny from the ground, eliminating several Nightmares at once with his boomerangs, "You would pick the bloody arctic."

"No, I would have chosen your Warren," laughed Jack, freezing two Nightmares creeping up on Tooth. "That way I could fight and freeze your Warren at the same time. You know, kill two birds with one stone."

"Why you bloody show pony."

"Language, Kangaroo, you wouldn't want one of your innocent believers hear you and then go repeat that to their mother. On second thought, that would be funny because no mom would believe they learned it from the Easter Kangaroo."

Jack froze the last five Nightmares in his area, the others having fled to North, Tooth, and Sandy, before he realized that Bunny had not responded to his Kangaroo jibe. The wind dropped Jack unceremoniously onto the hot sand as the winter boy's energy lagged severely without the adrenaline of a fight to keep him going. He jumped up as his bare feet hit the sand and instantly began burning.

"What the hell wind?" cried Jack hopping from one foot to the other. "What did you do that for?"

Then Jack spotted Bunny on the ground with several Nightmares stamping on him.

"Hey!" yelled Jack, aiming his staff as he ran, the pain in his feet forgotten. "Get away from him you nasty little beasts."

Every Nightmare surrounding the Easter Bunny instantly wished it had chosen a different Guardian to fight as they were frozen solid and then smashed to the ground, their particles blending with the natural sand of the desert so they could not reform. Jack didn't even waste glance at them, hitting the ground next to Bunny.

"Bunny?" said Jack, question coating his tone. "Hey, Bunny, you need to get up now."

Bunny didn't respond, his still form on the ground leaking blood. Jack studied one stream as it leaked from under the thick fur near Bunny's right ear. It was not gushing, it was not flowing, it was leaking. Over his years as an invisible spirit, flying from one place to the next, Jack had witnessed countless battles, skirmishes, and accidents to know the differences in wounds and why they bled the way they did. But still Jack stared at the blood as if he had never seen blood before, willing it to do something more or different or anything because he knew the truth.

Corpses don't bleed, they leak.

"Come on, Kangaroo," whispered Jack. "Get up. You're going to let Christmas beat you this way."

Bunny didn't so much as twitch as the jibe.

"Wake up you selfish bastard!" screamed Jack, his fists pounding on Bunny's chest in an attempt to get the blood pumping, his heart going, anything that would make the Pooka protest or respond. "Dammit Bunny!"

The others were finishing up with their Nightmares but Jack could care less. The sand burning his feet, the sun roasting his head, the oppressive heat sucking the energy right out of his body, none of that mattered to Jack because the only thing he could focus on was the still form laying on the ground in front of him. Out of everything that Jack had been through and witnessed and bounced back from, this was the one thing he knew he would never get over so he had to make it not be true. He could lose everything but he couldn't lose the only being to challenge him, call him out when he was being a prat, and understand him.

"Come on!" croaked Jack, his throat dry from heat and yelling-which he had not stopped doing for several minutes. "This isn't funny anymore. It's hot, I'm tired, I just want to get away from the sun, so you need to stop playing around and get up or I'll freeze your Warren for a year solid. I'm not kidding! Bunny, please."

Jack threw himself onto the unmoving furry chest, whispering so that only dead ears would hear his words.

"You can't leave me. You just can't because without you there's going to be no one to keep me in line at the meetings and no one to annoy and no one to help get me out of trouble with North or escape from Tooth when she wants to see my teeth. Please, I swear, I'll be good, I'll never freeze the Warren, it'll never snow on Easter, hell, I won't even let it frost on Easter, whatever you want, I swear I'll do it but you have to stay. Understand? You have to stay for any of that to happen. Please, please, don't leave me."

The older Guardians stared down at the sobbing boy who was completely oblivious to them. No matter what they tried they could not seem to get his attention; nothing could pull him out of his personal hell. Eventually Sandy, seeing no other way around it, sent a small stream of dream sand-slightly more gold than the surrounding landscape-to the boy to ease him into sleep. Knocking him out would only numb the pain and make it that much worse when he finally awoke to feel it. The wise old master of dreams knew that the best way for Jack would be to slowly put him under with just enough to get him out but not enough to dream.

As Jack gripped the course fur in his hands, blood staining his pale digits as if a rose had bloomed in the middle of a blizzard, he felt the darkness gather around him and the fur, his lifeline, began to fade out of his hands. Everything around him seemed to be disappearing before he could catch a better grip and no matter how he thrashed or screamed nothing stayed. Nothing ever stayed.

"Poor Jack," came a cool voice from the darkness that was clouding his vision. "I think you're alone now. There doesn't seem to be any one around."

Try as he might, Jack couldn't deny the truth-he was utterly alone in the darkness of his own mind and it was his own fault because while Bunny had been alive to hear it Jack had never given him any reason to stay.

***There will be a part two! I know, I know, not my best writing and I have other requests that I promise I will get to, I just really wanted to write this. So up next do you want the second part of this story or a request and then the second part of this? **

**Hope you like it so far! Always-Ari**


	13. Alone Now Pt 2

**Title- Alone Now Pt 2**

**Summary- The one where Jack retreats inside himself after the fight and may be a bit insane.**

**Characters-Jack Frost, Bunnymund, North, Sandman, Tooth**

**Rating-T**

North stared down at the sleeping winter spirit. He looked small and fragile on a bed built for North. All of North's infirmary beds were made for yeti's or himself so the undersized Guardian of Fun looked even smaller when settled in the center of the mattress. It was eerie seeing Jack stay still for more than a few seconds, like the calm before a storm or that moment of silence before a tornado comes roaring through a house.

"When will he wake up, Sandy?" asked North, his eyes leaving Jack to see the answer.

Sandy shrugged, unable to provide an adequate response. In truth, he had eased Jack into sleep with his powers but the boy's body had taken over after that and shut itself off from the world it could no longer face. In a last ditch effort to protect itself from more harm, his mind had locked down and took the rest of the body with it. Barely breathing although his wounds were not serious, no one was sure how long Jack could make it before he faded away entirely. As an elemental spirit he did not need believers to survive though they gave him more power, but like any being he still needed a will to live and it seemed he could not find that.

"He's lost all hope," said North sadly. "Without Bunny there cannot be life. Think about it-Bunny is spring and new life and hope. No one can exist without hope."

"He'll wake up," said Tooth, smoothing the blankets for something to do, her voice watery and unsure. "He has to wake up."

"He doesn't have to do anything," said North, turning away. "Without hope there cannot be fun and without fun there is no Jack."

Sandy and Tooth looked after the Guardian of Wonder as the large man walked out of the room, his heavy black boots smacking solidly against the hard wood floor as he went.

-Break-

It was dark, not pitch black but still dark enough for Jack to know it was nighttime and the moon would not rise. Nothing was going to rise, not the sun or the stars or even the Spirit of Fun who lay on the ground on his back.

"What story?" said Jack, his voice toneless and shaking as he spoke. "That moment when you find out you have grandchildren when you don't even have kids, going from 65 to 69, iridescent and irresponsible, full of loan words and showering in the dark while the one thing that didn't change was my razor. The Medici's would be proud.

"He used to say that I talked to hear the sound of my own voice but he was wrong. I talk because talking is better than silence because silence is boring and empty and if I just keep talking long enough than maybe it'll all go away and I'll wake up and this will just have been a dream.

"Does anyone remember when Queen Elizabeth was a fresh faced farm girl with a virgin glow, 30 years old and just turning 5, her hair almost as filthy as the sticky tiles of a boys bathroom, trainer laces crisscrossed in an intricate pattern and knotted at the end, the black faded from miles, soles worn smooth and whole. They called her "Pig Nose" and just for your elfishly pointed ears, forgiveness isn't about forgetting, it's about letting go of their throat.

"Cause: the world's going to end, the effects are pretty obvious. Strange how much it rains now you're trying to survive the rapture. After a 5.8 earthquake, two headed shark attack, and EF5 tornado, there were still an episode or 2 left but they cancelled at the last minute. See, even hero's have the right to bleed.

"Say what you want or don't speak at all, I'm not going to let you fall-what a lie. Well, maybe not on my part but then again no one has ever promised to catch me before. Even beta fish have to mate. There's a reason I got a black belt. My shoulders are small but you can cry on them. I suppose that's all there is to me- I'm not a poet after all wearing a silly red cape.

"You are Mega Shark and I am Giant Octopus at 328 NW 15th street. One year, ten months, and twenty-two days end over religious conflict, no excuses, no lies, no broken promises. I didn't ask for your opinion. What were the last words? _It is finished._

"I'm not crazy. _Just kick her in the nuts! Shoot her with a sock! _But the priest over there was Fr. John Stith and if my hands are the moon, his are Jupiter. _Have a cookie and vote_. Who thinks they know what they are doing? Anyone? And that's why the sky isn't purple, because of a steady, thrumming, aching in my head. Don't be so funny. Next car, silvery grey, 1986 Jeep Wrangler, that's the car I will learn to drive. Janitors and mothers really aren't that different, almost like men's lacrosse. I do not want to be a fairy; I'm more closely related to the sea cucumber. Kid's don't get rope burn from jump ropes. Have I mentioned that I'm certifiably insane?

"I hate you."

The last part was whispered so softly that if he hadn't been listening for it, Jack would have missed the words he said altogether. They tasted bitter on his lips like radishes and herbs at the Jewish Passover he had visited one year. He as his thoughts strayed to that drawn out meal they came dangerously close to a certain missing Pooka who, as he had just declared, he hated.

"You did were supposed to be invincible," said Jack, curling around his stomach, trying to lessen the pain and keep himself in one piece. "You were supposed to be this great legend. You were supposed to be better than a few lousy Nightmares.

"You weren't supposed to leave me."

"Who said I went anywhere, mate?" asked the hauntingly familiar accent, causing Jack to sit bolt upright and stare about the surrounding darkness.

"Bunny?" said Jack, on his knees, his head twisting this way and that, eyes straining as the darkness seemed to thicken. "Is that you?"

"Course it is, you show pony, who else would it be?"

"Then why can't I see you?"

"Jack," sighed Bunny's voice. "You have to have a little more faith in me than that. Come on, would I really leave you?"

"I'd leave me," whispered Jack, hugging his knees to his chest as if he were cold.

"But I didn't ask what you would do, I asked what I would do," came Bunny's voice, echoing off invisible walls. "And the answer is that I would never leave you now. Come on, mate, you may drive me crazy half the time but you're still my little brother and I wouldn't leave you to fend for yourself. And you know that. So let me ask you, Jack, what are you doing here?"

"Hiding from the world," admitted Jack. "The world is mean and..empty now. Here I can at least hear your voice still. Here you're not really gone."

"But here you're not doing your job as a Guardian, here you're leaving North and Tooth and Sandy and everyone to worry about you, here you're leaving Jamie."

"But if I go back I'll have to face everything. I much prefer it here where I can talk to myself and not sound crazy. You're a lot nicer in my head, still a crotchety old rabbit, but nicer. My subconscious must have hope for you, Kangaroo, but even I'm not creative enough to form an image of you being nice to me, just your voice."

"Shut up you show pony," grumbled Bunny's voice. "You know what you have to do mate."

"I don't want to," whined Jack.

"Jack, you need to wake up now."

Though the darkness was only getting thicker, Jack finally felt something other than the eerily solid but comfortable ground he sat on in the form of warm, muscular, furry paws engulfing his shoulders and for a moment they felt so real, the voice so familiar, that Jack was almost convinced that it was real, that he was about to open his eyes from a nightmare and find himself in North's living room having fallen asleep during a meeting with Bunny shaking him awake yet again. Jack was almost convinced, but almost never cuts it.

***Okay, sorry for the wait, I had no computer all weekend and then just got off a 20 hour work day. Also, sorry because I totally didn't mean to make this have a part 3, but there will be a part three. So...yeah.**

**Anywho, I hope you are liking this group of stories. I will be writing the requests soon, I have not forgotten! I'm super excited about all of them. Always-Ari**


	14. Who Wander

**Title- Who Wander**

**Summary-The one where Jack has a...lady friend?...and the Guardians meet her.**

**Characters-Jack Frost, Bunnymund, North, Tooth**

**Rating- T**

**Requested by- Random Person**

It was twelve years after he was born and Jack was flying over Japan spreading snow and laughing when something knocked his precarious hold on the wind loose and sent him tumbling down into the field.

"New record, alright!" said Jack, laughing. "Okay wind, maybe flying across that ocean without stopping was pushing it, you're right."

"Who are you?" asked a female voice. "And why aren't you dead?"

Jack looked around until he saw a woman standing a bit away dressed all in white. It was a white sundress that flowed into white limbs that made the garment seem like it went on longer than it actually did. Long black hair seemed to circle around without the wind. The wind didn't actually seem to care for the woman which was strange for Jack, he had never seen the wind act like that before. In all, Jack had never seen a more beautiful yet terrifying woman.

"I asked you a question, mortal," repeated the woman.

Her voice sounded like a mixture of accents, emotions, and meanings more than sentences.

"You can see me?" said Jack, getting to his feet in awe.

"What do you mean? How daft are you, of course I can see you. Now let's try this again. Who are you and why aren't you dead?"

"Why would I be dead?" asked Jack, starting to dislike the beauty in front of him.

"Because it's winter and I touched you. Everything I touch freezes."

"Well, I'm already so cool, so that would probably explain it," said Jack, smirking and leaning casually against his staff.

"What?"

"So who are you?"

"I'm Yuki-onna, the Spirit of Freezes," declared the woman as if she were declaring herself queen of the world. "And who are you?"

"I'm Jack Frost, Spirit of Winter," said Jack. "So technically, I outrank you."

Yuki-onna eyed Jack with a critical look. He was almost as tall as her, a bit on the scrawny side, but had a twinkle in his eye that she liked. His face was impish and full of life which was rare in her frozen world. She wanted him and she always got what she wanted.

"Well, Jack of Winter, you are a handsome fellow, aren't you?" Yuki-onna turned her voice flirtatious and light, the tone that she used to entrance men into following her into a storm to get lost. "Where do you hail from?"

"I prefer boyishly cute," said Jack. "But I um, hail from..um…well, all over. I like to travel."

With an easy grin, Jack began to meander across the landscape. Yuki-onna had no choice but to follow or let her prize escape.

"So, Yuki-onna, that's an interesting name," said Jack as he strolled. "Can I just call you Yuki or Onna or how about Victoria? Oh, I like that name."

"You can call me whatever you want, handsome," said Yuki-onna sweetly, her icy hand caressing his cheek.

"No, I'm Jack, not handsome. So, Yuki, I suppose that suits you, anyway Yuki, it's been fun and all, talking to someone, but I have things to do, places to freeze, that sort of thing, so this'll be goodbye."

"You can't leave me," said Yuki, trying to freeze Jack's feet to the ground. "You're supposed to stay. I want you to stay. I want you to be mine forever."

"That's a bit creepy," said Jack, ignoring the ice that only tickled his feet. "But really, I just met you, so no. But thanks for the offer!"

With that, Jack took to the sky, the wind happy to take him away from the lady that was too cold inside and out. Yuki glared at the quickly disappearing form, the ground around her turning into pure ice, her beautiful face transforming into an ugly sneer.

"You will be mine, Jack Frost, Spirit of Winter," whispered Yuki into the empty air for event he wind had left her. "Just wait, because I will follow you until the end of time before I see you with someone else. We were meant to be, Winter and Ice, we are perfect and I will show you."

-Break-

"And that's why Yuki has been following me for the past 300ish years," concluded Jack at the Guardian meeting.

"Now wait just a minute," said Bunny. "You honestly expect us to believe that some crazy female has been following you for almost 300 years because she thinks you're handsome?"

"Your lack of faith wounds me, Bunny," said Jack, his hand going to his heart in mock hurt. "Or are you saying that you don't find me handsome? Because hey, if I'm not your type you just have to say so, you don't have to be mean about it."

"What?" screamed Yuki, popping out from behind a curtain. "Jack, are you cheating on me?"

Jack worked to keep his face strait as the others jumped in shock. After centuries of dealing with Yuki's stalking, Jack was never shocked when she turned up where he was. However he spotted an opportunity to get rid of his "girlfriend" for good and have a bit of fun while doing it, so he decided to jump on it.

"Baby, don't you love me?" said Jack, taking a step towards the beauty, silently begging to other Guardians to remain silent.

"Of course I do," said Yuki.

"And don't you want me to be happy?"

"That's all I've ever wanted."

"Then you have to let me go. I'm sorry, Yuki, but I've found someone who makes me happy, challenges me to be better, and completes me, not just enhances my element."

"Who?" said Yuki, tears forming in her eyes. "Who could possibly be better suited for you than me?"

"I'd like you to meet my other half, E. Aster Bunnymund," said Jack, letting the wind bring him over to the oversized rabbit who was too shocked to protest.

"You're dating the Easter Bunny?" said Yuki, her voice as icy as her powers.

"Just go with it," whispered Jack to Bunny before raising his voice for his stalker to hear. "No, I'm not dating him, that would be weird since we're different ages and you know, he's a kangaroo and I'm not…but he completes me all the same. I'm sorry it didn't work out between us, Yuki, but I hear there's a wickedly tall and handsome ice spirit in Mongolia. You should check him out."

"This is the last time you will ever see me, Jack Frost," hissed Yuki. "I'd promise revenge but I think a worse punishment would be to let you live a long and lonely life without love or companionship. You were born alone and you will always be alone. Fare thee poorly, Jack of Winter, the forever frozen boychild."

"And may the fleas of a thousand camels infest your intimate places and may your arms be too short to scratch," replied Jack with a snarky smirk.

In a flurry of mist and ice, Yuki-onna left the pole. Jack sighed, patted Bunny on the head, and went back to his own chair and put his head in his hands.

"Jack, are you okay?" asked Tooth, breaking away from her hoard of fairies for a moment.

"What?" said Jack, his head shooting back up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that, Bunny, she would have attacked Tooth if I'd used her. This was the only way to get rid of her for good."

Bunny nodded his understanding but kept his eyes trained on the young spirits face. There was something off with the Guardian of Fun but Bunny could not quite name it. Jack didn't seem sad that Yuki-onna was gone and he wasn't upset that he had lied to her. It was something else.

"Well, I'm off to bed," declared North, pushing back from the table. "You all are welcome to stay if you wish, You know where the beds are."

"Sandy and I should actually be going," said Tooth already fluttering towards the door. "But thank you North. See you all next meeting!"

Jack flew to the rafters and Bunny settled down by the fire, painting an egg absently. They didn't say anything, just sat in a comfortable silence, not the empty silence Jack had known for years.

Jack had tried to like Yuki-onna, really he had, but there was something about her that he just could not ignore. Where Jack was snowballs and fun times Yuki was frozen limbs and death. She killed because she could and she tricked people because she liked to watch them suffer. Jack went out of his way to avoid harming humans and only played harmless tricks. And yet Yuki, for centuries, had what Jack desired; people could see her. Only people in certain regions of the world could see her, but she was seen all the same while Jack was walked through. Over the years they talked many times-normally when Jack was getting desperate to be believe in or have someone notice him-but he always left the conversation hating the woman more. Jack was the Spirit of Winter but she was frozen to the core in a way he would never be and a way that drove him out.

He didn't notice when Bunny had left for the spare room to sleep but when he looked down Jack spotted the empty armchair and abandoned egg and paintbrush on the side table next to it. Jack managed to grapple with his curiosity for a full half minute before curiosity won and sent him down to get a better look at the egg. It wasn't one of Bunny's normal eggs with legs but one of North's eggs used for cooking. It had been hollowed and dried and Bunny had painted it-probably out of habit-in a light blue. Over the blue background was a scene of him, a perfect minerature version of Jack Frost complete with wild hair and frost patterned hoodie, racing the Pooka while Sandy laughed, North cheered, and Tooth monitored the finish line. Underneath it was the words painted in a flowing script that took Jack a minute to understand. But when he got it he smiled, pocketed the egg, and flew back to the rafters to sleep.

The egg, cradled in his hand in the pocket of his jacket, read _When the world says 'Give up' hope whispers 'Try one more time.'_

***So next I think I shall finish the "Alone Now" arc but I wanted to get in this request first. It started out and I was going to make it romantic, but then...I remembered how awful I am at romance and it was more amusing to have Jack with a stalker girlfriend instead of a real girlfriend. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one who found that fun... **

**So as always, requests are welcome (I do them in the order they are asked in but I do write every one).**

**I hope you enjoyed this story. Until next time-Ari**


	15. Alone Now Pt 3

**Title-** **Alone Now Pt 3**

**Summary- The one where Jack yells after the fight.**

**Characters-Jack Frost, Bunnymund, Tooth, North**

**Rating-T**

Jack kept his eyes closed long after he felt his mind return to his physical body, partially because he didn't want to face the world and partially because he couldn't find the strength or will to force his eyes open. There were only so many times a heart could break before it shattered.

"It's been days," said Tooth's voice from somewhere above his head and to the right a bit. "Shouldn't he be awake by now?"

"Tooth, go do your duties, you're giving me a head ache," said North who sounded more tired than Jack had ever heard him.

There was silence for a long time, the fluttering of wings faded away and Jack was sure he was alone but he waited a little longer just to be sure. A little turned into a lot and eventually he heard North enter, check his temperature, and leave again. Only then did Jack venture enough from his comfortable dark world to open his eyes.

At first the world was a bit bleary as if Jack were viewing it through a fishbowl or thick sheet of glass. He blinked a few times to put it back in order but when it was Jack sat up and looked around more carefully. He was in one of North's many spare bedrooms, the window was open, and next to him sitting in an armchair curled up in what had to be an uncomfortable position, was Bunny sleeping.

"Dammit!" cursed Jack loudly, throwing himself dramatically back into the pillows that propped him up and crossing his arms over his face. "I knew it. I'm either dead or finally went insane."

"You're not dead," grumbled Bunny. "Keep your voice down, I'm napping."

"Then I must be insane," said Jack, removing his arms from his face and studying the worse for ware Pooka.

Bunny had a bandage around his chest and his fur was darker where it hid bruises.

"I won't argue with the insane bit," said Bunny, wincing as he stretched. "I've always thought you were a bit of a nutter."

"For sure insane," said Jack. "Well, I may as well enjoy the insanity since it seems I've checked in for the long haul. Although I have to admit that I always thought being insane would be a lot more fun. Where are the voices I was promised?"

"You're an idiot," said Bunny. "You're not actually insane, though you gave it your best effort. Gave everyone a right scare, though. Why did you do it, Jack?"

"Do what?" asked Jack who had decided to at least take advantage of losing his mind and talk to the one person he would never get to talk to again.

"Don't give me your 'do what' as if you have no idea. Why did you lose hope, mate?"

"Because you died," stated Jack simply. "Wow, that's much easier to say to my imagination than I thought. But I suppose that's just it, isn't it? It's all in my head…it's always all been in my head."

"What's always been in your head?" asked Bunny, curious.

"Everything," said Jack. "If you spend 300 years alone you tend to lose your people and talking skills. Didn't the real you ever wonder why I'm such a sparkling conversationalist? It's because I talked to myself, the air, the wind, the kids, anything, for years but it was always in my head because no one could see me and no one would answer. Don't get me wrong, I had brilliant conversations because I'm pretty interesting, but it was always my own imagination."

"But you lost hope because you thought I died."

"You did die, Bunny," said Jack, his face hard as he fought back unpleasant emotions that threatened to overcome his lighthearted banter. "You are hope and if you are dead than so is hope. So I didn't lose hope, you took it from me."

"Don't you put this on me, Jack Frost," growled Bunny, getting angry. "You're the one who refuses to believe that this is real even though it is. I never died so I never stole your hope. You let it go, so don't blame me. Why is it so much easier for you to believe that this is all in your head, which is a lie, than it is for you to face the truth that it's real? Why is that so difficult?"

"Because I can't lose you again!" shouted Jack, making Bunny's ears flatten against his head. "Because I was fine before I cared about any of you, I was fine when I was alone and then the Man in the Moon had to step in and make you pay attention to me and ruin everything. You could have died years ago and I wouldn't have been effected because I didn't know you and I didn't hope for anything. But then you ruined that by making me care. And then you died and had to figure out how to deal with that, with that pain, because if you don't feel then you don't hurt and I hadn't felt in ages. And then I wake up with my mind made up that I was going to find some way to carry on because you told me to and now you tell me that you aren't really dead. If you aren't dead then that means you can die and I can't lose you like that again. I can do a lot of things but I just can't do that."

Bunny was silent for a long time, inspecting the winter creature before him who probably wasn't aware that he had tears running down his pale cheeks. There was so much to that boy and Bunny, who had been seriously injured during the fight, had not been able to leave his side since he woke up. The others had not been able to explain what had happened because they didn't know for sure. One minute hey were fighting and then when it was over Bunny was on the ground with hardly any heartbeat and Jack seemed physically fine but was completely unresponsive. When Bunny had woken up he couldn't sense Jack the way he could sense the others and it took him a minute to realize that Jack was still there but his hope was gone. From that moment on Bunny had refused to leave him for even a moment, insisting that he had to be there in case, by some miracle, Jack came back.

"Jack, listen," said Bunny quietly. "You're strong, stronger than you even realize, and you can do a lot of things on your own. You may act like a kid often but you're still more capable than any one of us but that doesn't mean you don't need people sometimes. You said that I told you to come back. What did I say exactly?"

"You said that I can't leave North or Tooth or Sandy or Jamie," said Jack quietly. "You said that you would never leave me and that I can't leave them."

"And did you trust me then?"

"Yes."

"Then trust me now. Jack, you're not insane, I didn't die, and I would never leave you. I promise."

Jack stared at Bunny before nodding.

"Wait, just like that?" said Bunny, surprised. "I thought it would take a lot more convincing to make you believe me."

"In my head," said Jack slowly, "I can never form an image of you when you're being nice to me. I can hear your voice but I can't picture it. So, if I can see you sitting right there and you're being nice, it must be real."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it, mate," grumbled Bunny good naturedly. "And don't you overreact like that again."

"When an octopus gets stressed it eats itself," stated Jack smugly, his eyes dropping in exhaustion. "That's overreacting."

Bunny may have responded but Jack was already asleep this time with golden dreams playing above his head.

***Ta-da! I finished "Alone Now". I decided that killing Bunny was just too mean (I must be turning soft in my old age). Up next is a request and it is for sure out of my norm of writing but hey, that's what this is all about. **

**I hope you enjoyed this arc. I apologize for my snarky sense of humor, I just can't shake it. Always-Ari**


	16. The Golden Ones

**Title- The Golden Ones**

**Summary- The one where Pitch is actually good and the Guardians are evil.**

**Characters- North, Tooth, Sandman, Bunnymund, Jack Frost, Pitch**

**Rating-T**

**Request by- Jokermask18**

The Guardians made them foolish, the children. Those impetuous immortals felt that because they would never die neither would the children. It wasn't until they began fading as fewer kids believed that they realized how frail they really were. They were totally dependent upon the weak little mortal kids and try as they might they could not find a way around it.

The Sandman was the first, the oldest, and perhaps the most irrational of them all. He would plant impossible and even dangerous ideas into the heads of children as they slept, burying those ideas into their subconscious, letting the children believe it was their own minds that came up with them, and then moving on so he wouldn't have to see the consequences that came from those ideas. It didn't matter to the Sandman that dreams were the minds way of coping with stress and other situations. Perhaps it just never occurred to him that giving particularly good dreams to the children in hard times only numbed the pain for a bit and made it all the worse for them when they awoke because in their sleep their minds had not come to terms and had instead showed them a world that was fake where things were good. The Sandman taught the children to live more in their own minds than in the real world.

The Tooth Fairy came next, fluttering, energetic, and with an actual shot of being good but then she discovered the power those teeth she so adored held. Memories of children, so rich and fragrant that she quickly became drunk off their power, the potency clouding her mind until she never left her tower world in the sky. Sending out little workers allowed her to stay in the middle of her hoard and drink in the delicious memories of children, vicariously living through them as she did. In her eagerness to keep all of those happy memories safe she built up a world around her tower far removed from the land where the children actually roamed. When she bothered peering over the edge and noticing a distressed child she would quickly find their teeth and remind them of happier times. She never noticed when those memories of good things prevented the children from letting go of things that had turned bad, she never saw them get hurt because they stayed in a situation that was only getting worse though they didn't notice as all they could see were the memories of times long passed. Tooth never saw a thing as she buried her face in the memories of others and forgot to live.

Santa Claus had been a marauder in his mortal life but when he became immortal he had the chance to change his ways. He could have made up for the misdeeds of his past but instead he built himself an empire much like the Tooth Fairy, hid it away from the world, and only ventured out once a year. With his skills from years of raiding, her enslaved not one but two races to do his work while he whiled away the long hours in the winter wasteland carving ice and making creations that would never see the light of day. When he realized that he needed the belief of children to survive he piggy backed off of a religious celebration, giving toys to the children he deemed good and coal or nothing to the ones he deemed naughty. In his own world where he ruled elves and yeti's alike, he was not content and set himself up as a god to the children as well, single handedly decided who would be rewarded and who would not without ever meeting them. To him it did not matter that a child stole to feed himself or that he hit because he was hit at home. Santa Claus was just doing his self appointed job, rewarding the children who believed in him most and damning the ones who's lights flickered.

Finally there was the Easter Bunny, the rabbit who had risen above all rabbits to become a larger than life creation that jealously guarded hope. His brilliant plan to keep hope alive was to paint eggs and hand them out, like his winter counterpart, on a religious celebration. His world he built under the earth where he could force the climate to stay the same and never give the soil a rest by making it eek out spring year round. The down time he spent practicing his martial arts and sparring with rocks, never talking to another soul. As the self appointed guardian of hope he did not need to talk to a human child in order to know how to make them happy and restore their faith in the world; kids loved chocolate and colorful eggs being the simple minded creatures that they were. After all, those things made the Easter Bunny hopeful so it must be the same for everyone else.

For years Pitch Black did the best he could without drawing attention to himself. He walked the nights flitting from shadow to shadow, stalling golden dreams when the child needed to sort other things out in his mind, reminding children why jumping off a roof with just an umbrella was a bad idea, keeping them in their room at night so they wouldn't get picked up by a stranger or worse, someone they knew, protecting the children of the world from themselves. Pitch kept them safe and they feared him, choosing instead to idolize the great Guardians of Childhood, the frauds they never saw who ignored them at best and led them to danger at worse.

That was why Pitch chose to attack the Guardians when he did. He had spent three centuries watching the Guardians ignore not only the children of the world but also a child of their own kind, Jack Frost, and could take it no longer. So he struck Santa Claus first, not hard, just using a bit of black sand to scare the man and it worked. As soon as he called the other Guardians together he hit Tooth Palace. The fairy had been careless, in her vanity she left the place unguarded but for a few little workers taking a much needed break. Those he had his nightmares nab, being careful not to harm the poor creatures, and then take the teeth. Pitch needed those teeth to use properly so the children could remember when needed the happy times but he would know when to let them forget and move on.

It was at Tooth Palace that he first got to talk to Jack Frost. The Spirit of Winter did not seem as sold on the ideas of the Guardians as most, making Pitch like the boy. Still, Pitch had to remind the child of the injustice that the Guardians had done him by ignoring him.

"I didn't know you and the Guardians were so chummy," said Pitch lazily.

"We're not," replied Jack, his voice as untrusting as his stance.

"Good," said Pitch. "Then I'm going to ignore you, but, you must be used to that."

It was a low blow but Pitch didn't have time to explain to Jack why the Guardians were so bad.

After taking out the Tooth Fairy, Pitch went after the Sandman, that foolish dream weaver who never said a word, never told the children no, never gave them boundaries. He was easy, the gild sand melting under the black, the grains turning and weaving until not a single golden speck was left. After removing the foolish dreams Pitch took out Easter knowing that if he destroyed that holiday then Christmas would soon follow because in the minds of children if one of the great holiday leaders did not exist than the other did not either. Pitch could instill hope and wonder in the children every day, not once a year.

But then there was Jack.

Jack was a problem Pitch had not planned on having. Jack was invisible to children and though he created ice, he only encouraged fun and kept the children safe in his own way. So while he destroyed Easter Pitch tried to recruit Jack in a way he thought the boy would understand. Fear made a person strong, fear gave them a limit and yet something to work at, fear kept people alive.

By the end, the one thing Pitch could never fight was his downfall. No matter what Pitch did, no matter how many times he tried, and no matter how hard he tried to destroy the Guardians, he always fell short because of the very mortals he tried so hard to protect. The Guardians were vain, selfish creatures who never interacted with humans while Pitch was among them every moment of every day.

At first Pitch thought that he had lost because his own fear of becoming like the Guardians once he gained power had overcome him and dragged him off. Then, after he caught his breath, he realized that would never be the case. He lost for the same reasons he had lost the last time.

People believe what they want to believe even if in their hearts they know it is wrong. The Guardians had been built up into golden beings that could do no wrong and Pitch was always the ugly thing waiting under the bed to eat children. He could not change that.

People want to keep believing in the golden ones because if they are no longer golden than who could be?

***Okay, so if you guys liked that then I may do a few one shots following the good Pitch bad Guardians universe. But if not then okay. When I first got the request I was not at all sure I was going to enjoy writing it but then I just really got into the whole idea and liked it a lot. I may write a short in the universe just because I want to...hm...**

**Anyway, up next is either a request or a one shot I've been thinking about quite a bit. Not sure which yet. As always, I love hearing what you think and requests are welcome. Always-Ari**


	17. Weak Spots

**Title- Weak Spots**

**Summary- The one where Jack pranks Bunny and Bunny looses his cool.**

**Characters- Jack Frost, Bunnymund**

**Rating-T**

**Requested by- Guest**

It wasn't as if there was no other place he could go, he was Jack Frost, he could go wherever the wind was present. It just so happened that he favorite place was the only place he was banned: the Warren. It didn't even make sense, the Warren was several degrees warmer then he normally enjoyed, not unpleasant, just warmer, but if you asked him he would pick the Warren over anywhere. There was something enticing about the green garden with little eggs waddling around and stone eggs always trying to catch him that made Jack giddy. But out of all of it, his favorite part of the Warren was Bunnymund.

To put it simply Jack was fascinated by the Easter Bunny. North thought it was his years of isolation, Sandy guessed it was the fact that Bunny was so different, Tooth said it was because Jack was really just an affectionate boy, but Bunny knew the real reason that Jack always snuck in. Bunny was the only one to challenge Jack and the winter spirit's ornery nature craved that sort of attention. Jack loved pushing limits and needed the challenge the Easter Bunny presented. Bunny found the boy entertaining and deep down in his furry soul he cared for him. Jack was too much like a child for him not to care.

It was early in the morning, Bunny was tending the color river, humming absently as he did, when a mass flew into him, throwing off his balance. He teetered on the edge, arms windmilling as he attempted to regain his balance, before tumbling into the river with a rainbow splash. The eggs, thinking it was a fun new game their master had invented, all jumped in to join him, tiny feet kicking with the simple glee of knowing nothing. Bunny spluttered and stomped his way out of the dye, grumbling and attempting to shake the colors from his fur.

"I didn't know kangaroo's didn't like swimming," laughed Jack, lounging on top of a stone egg. "If I had been aware I wouldn't have given you a little push."

"You're a right pain, you know that Frost?" swore Bunny, not at all in the mood for Jack and his teasing.

"Better than being a wrong pain I suppose," shrugged Jack as if he didn't have a care in the world. "Or a slightly correct but still mostly incorrect pain. Or even a-"

"Shut up."

Jack laughed.

"So is that why you came here? To turn me into a walking rainbow?"

"No, actually. I came here for this."

Jack snapped a picture before Bunny could react, laughing as he floated in the air.

"I came here for pictures, Tooth wants them for some album she's putting together or something for North's birthday. It's just a happy coincidence that you happen to look like a unicorn took a wiz on you."

"You little twerp!"

"Oh, ouch," said Jack, gripping his side as he pretended to be wounded by the words. "The last time I heard that one I was riding my pet dinosaur."

Jack zoomed out of reach, his laughter filling the crisp spring air as if there were hundreds of Jack's laughing, the joyous sound impounding upon Bunny's sensitive ears until the Pooka could take it no longer.

"Just shut up you nasty little rascal!" screamed Bunny. "You have no control, you're irresponsible, and you just never know when to stop. So why don't you just take that camera and keep it with all the stupid pictures I'm sure you've taken and keep it all and disappear!"

Jack froze where he was floating, the wind letting him slip to the ground. His eyes studied Bunny's face as if her were studying a new language, determined to figure it out and what it really meant. Air swept in and out of Bunny's small nose making his whiskers twitch and fur waver in agitation. Jack leaned his staff against the stone egg, turned his back on the giant rabbit, and started walking towards the exit as if he really meant to leave; Bunny honestly thought he had finally crossed a line.

"Jack," said Bunny, regret crashing in to fill the void in his ears that the absence of laughter had created. "Jack wait, I didn't mean it mate. Don't go."

"I can't disappear, Bunny," said Jack softly, his steps slowing but not stopping. "I can fly away, I can run, I can hide, and I can be invisible, but I can't disappear. Don't ask me to do something you know I can't do because that's just mean."

"I don't want you to disappear, mate."

Jack continued his slow steps as if his feet couldn't believe what his mind was asking them to do.

"Jack, come on, I'm sorry," said Bunny, grabbing the eternal youths slim wrist.

"I know," said Jack brightly, turning back to Bunny with a smirk. "I just wanted to hear you say it."

"Why you little-"

Bunny tackles Jack to the ground, mercilessly tickling him so that once again Jack's laughter filled the Warren only this time Bunny didn't reject the sound as he had before. Unbenownst to him several of his little eggs had taken the camera captive and were snapping away, two eggs holding it steady while a third danced on top, sometimes hitting to correct button, sometimes not.

Much later Jack and Bunny both lounged on the grass on their backs watching the air as if they could see it.

"Hey Frostbite," said Bunny, cracking the silence that had settled over the Warren in the lazy afternoon air.

"Yeah Kangaroo?"

"Don't ever disappear, okay?"

"I already told you, that's one thing I can't do. Trust me, I've tried."

"What do you mean, you've tried to disappear?"

"Now, now," chuckled Jack, linking his fingers behind is snowy locks. "That's a story for another time."

***Look! I wrote something that was entirely fluffy! I deserve a cookie of something for that considering how much I am awful at writing fluffy things. And the only reason I fluffed it up was because that was what the request was (only without actually saying 'fluff it up'). **

**As always, requests are welcome. I think they are fun. Oh, and for those of you who asked, yes, I do watch Doctor Who. Always-Ari**


	18. To Do List

**Title- To Do List**

**Summary- The one where there's a party and a ransom note.**

**Characters-Jack Frost**

**Rating-T**

**Requested by-Multiple people as a follow up from the first ones**

"What will people think of what you've done this time?" said Jack softly to himself.

He stared at the mess that was more mess than ground, smashed Twinkies, gooey white cream oozing out of crumbled sides like a crime scene beholding a horrific murder by feet, hands, and sweaty bodies. A belt that could encompass several small children, black faux leather, cracking, dangled from the ceiling fan above the mess, slowly rotating like a merry-go-round above a carnival at night, silent, messy, and dark. There, on a table that had miraculously stayed upright, was a letter.

_Dear Jack,_

_I'm going to tell you a secret, okay? Here it is- you don't know it yet but I killed you. No, I don't mean I actually murdered you, that would be too easy. I killed your reputation all those years ago when you were first created. Why, do you ask? Well, you were a sneaky little bastard who deserved to die, not be rewarded for being foolish. The Man in the Moon chose wrong when he decided to play God so I did what I could to destroy you._

_Want to know another secret? I don't care, I'm telling you regardless. I'm the person that people love. I'm sweet, caring, silly, and adorable. I am the person people wish they could be and that's why I was created. I was made into the ideal but I can't be controlled. Sucks, doesn't it? And now you know but you can't change it, all you can do is sit back and watch people fall in love with me._

_How does it feel to know that I killed your chances at companionship before you even knew you could fly?_

_Feeling warm and fluffy yet?_

_Oh, I have a pet fox! His name is Arnold and he is adorable. And he is so smart._

_My favorite color is green._

_I used to have a sister named Savannah, but that was a long time ago._

_There, are you feeling a little better now? Well then, it's time to drive this home with a hot poker._

_You and I, we aren't that different. See, for all those years you wanted attention and so did I, but I had it and you never did. And then you walked in and suddenly you're the cutest thing since Munchkin Cats and I'm left on the sidelines to freeze in your wake. We switched spots but I'm not going to switch us back, oh no, that would be too easy. See, I'm going to play a little game with you. You will have four tasks, one for each of your precious Guardian friends. Yes dear Jack, I have taken them but don't you worry your pretty little head, they will stay safe if you can follow a few simple directions. You will even get to see them soon! That's how nice I am. And if you complete each task, your Guardians will go free. If you fail, you all die, simple as that._

_So grab your tissues and pitchforks, love, I'm going in for the kill._

_Love Always-_

_Venus_

Jack stared down at the letter for a few minutes after he had finished reading it, absently picking at his pinky nail on his right hand, chipping away the layer of hard dead cells to reveal the soft layer of skin it protected underneath. Pick, pick, pick.

Venus, the ancient Greek goddess of Love, was a right pain for Jack to deal with. She was beautiful and jealous and quite frankly bored with immortality (in Jack's opinion). Jack tried to steer clear of her as much as he could, preferring to stick with the wind as company. She caused drama because she found it funny and she belittled others until the rest of the spirit world believed her, leaving that humiliated spirit to fade away, alone and unloved because the goddess stole even that from them. Jack would admit that some of the ill feelings towards him were well founded, he did enjoy making blizzards a little too much for some people's taste, but with Venus he just struck out from the start and what he hated most was the fact that he wanted so badly for her to like him. He craved her love like Bunny craved the ground when in the sleigh, like Tooth craved white teeth, like North craved inventing, and like Sandy craved imagination; nothing would have made Jack more happy than having her love, at least until he had the Guardians in his life. She may have been the goddess of love, the emotion all desired deeply, but they were the Guardians of childhood and he was still a child. They fulfilled not only his need for love and affection but also for all the things that made him still a kid.

She may not have wanted him around but she certainly did not want him to stop chasing after her. In a way, Venus was like her statue in Paris, she wanted to be on a pedestal where all could admire her, traveling for hundreds of miles sometimes to do so, but she did not want them, the commoners to touch her.

He had told the Guardians it wasn't a good idea to have him at the party, he told them most of the spirits didn't like him, he had tried so hard to warn them but not a single one would take him seriously. It had started out fine, some gentle teasing about Jack overreacting by Tooth, the other spirits electing to avoid the winter one altogether, but as the night wore on and drinks were consumed, things took a turn for the nasty until an all out brawl broke out. Jack took shelter in the rafters out of reach and out of sight because people rarely look up, and let them work it out below. He had fallen asleep, that was the problem with being an outdoor spirit, noise didn't bother him too much when he was tired. When he woke up, it was to the scene of an utterly destroyed workshop, lacking in life save for Jack, and that letter resting for him to find.

"I really hate parties," sighed Jack, rubbing the back of his neck before launching himself backwards out the window, flying off to where he knew Venus would be waiting.

***So this is a follow up from the very start of this entire thing "Dream of a Dream" where people were curious about how the party ended up going and Jack's lynching club. So, here it is, part one of the arc because yes, this is yet another arc. I will break it up with at least one request, though, so sorry or you're welcome, whichever makes you happy.**

**I hope you like this one, I'm not big on OC's but I needed her for this one. Always-Ari**


	19. To Do List Pt 2

**Title-To Do List Pt 2**

**Summary-The one where Jack picks who to save first and has his first task.**

**Characters-Jack Frost, North, Tooth, Sandman, Bunnymund**

**Rating-T**

"Why so glum?" said Venus, chin resting in her tanned hand, full lips turned in an attractive pout as she studied the caged Guardians.

"Venus, will you stop playing with them?" sighed Jack, sitting on open window sill, one leg dangling into the large store room, lounging as if he had all the time in the world.

"Jack, I'm so glad you could make it," said Venus, her voice closer to silk than words. "But you're late, as usual, your friends have been here for hours."

"I expect so," shrugged Jack, inspecting his nails. "But then again, they had a head start."

"Jack, get out of here," said Tooth.

"Come down here, Jack," said Venus, ignoring Tooth entirely. "They way you sit up there makes a girl think you're not interested in her."

"Don't fish for compliments, Venus," chided Jack as he picked at his nail some more. "It's not becoming."

"Jack, all I want to do is play a game with you."

With a sigh that could have passed for a groan, Jack allowed himself to fall out of the window and land lightly on the ground. Once there, he walked between the cages that held his friends, slim fingers trailing along the metal leaving a light coat of frost in it's wake. It was almost surreal, as if the chained and caged Guardians were paintings and Jack walking through a gallery.

"Venus, you and I both know how much I love games," said Jack. "But I don't really like you. Isn't that always my problem? I just don't like you, whatever you are."

"I am a goddess in so many cultures, you weak little boy," yelled Venus. "And you're an idiot."

"Goddess, spirit, I really don't care. Let's get this over with."

"So you want to play my game?"

Jack sat down, his back resting against Tooth's cage, feet flat on the ground, arms resting on his knees, the image of disinterest.

"Now, this is how it's going to work," said Venus, striding over to a throne on a dais, settling in it, her Victorian era dress poofing out before dropping down back around her long legs. "You have four different tasks, one for each of the Guardians. After you complete each task, one of them will go free. And because I'm nice, I will let you pick which order they go free. I will let you have a private moment with them to tell them good bye, then the game shall begin!"

A white wall went up leaving Jack sitting with four cages.

"I tried to tell you that the other spirits don't play well with me," said Jack, his back still to Tooth, facing Bunny's cage. "I did try but no one ever takes me seriously."

"Why is Venus acting up?" asked North.

"She doesn't like me," said Jack as if that solved all the worlds problems. "It started with something about how I can never remember which one of her names goes with which society. She's a bit persnickety about that. Anyway, I think she might have been serious about this decide who goes first thing, so here's the order-Tooth, Sandy, North, Bunny. Okay? Okay. And break."

"Wait," said Tooth. "Why me first?"

"Well because this isn't my first run in with Venus. You can't really afford to lose believers and yours go first if their teeth don't get collected. So you get to go first. Sandy next for the same reasons. North after him because let's face it, an army of unsupervised elves is scary. Plus he can get on the whole revenge bit I'm sure he already has half planned in his head. Bunny last because quite frankly I just like to annoy him."

"Jack, we can't let you do this," said Tooth. "We're Guardians, we'll figure it out."

"I'm a Guardian too and I wasn't asking for your permission."

"Time's up, Jacky boy!" trilled Venus.

"Jack," said Bunny as Jack walked past his cage. "These games are designed to hurt. Be careful."

"Ah Bunny, you do care," smirked Jack before he sauntered off.

A glass wall appeared between Jack and the Guardians so they could watch without interfering. As soon as that was in place, the cages opened and the chains unlocked. All four of the Guardians raced to the window.

"Now Jack, who gets to go first?"

"Tooth."

"Perfect. Then all you have to do for her to go free is walk across hot coals."

With a snap of her fingers Venus made a large portion of the floor roll back to reveal burning coals. Jack eyed them wearily, trying to block out the muffled screaming coming from Tooth. He walked to the edge of the floor and stood, toes gripping and drumming one the solid ground, the only part of him that betrayed unease.

"What are you waiting for, Jack?" taunted Venus. "Scared?"

"Of burning coals?" chuckled Jack, rocking back to balance on his heels. "Never. I like it hot."

With that he stepped onto the red pathway, biting down hard on the inside of his cheek to keep from screaming.

The second step was even worse than the first. The cold on his body was trying to counteract the heat but he had to conserve his energy. This wasn't going to be easy and he was sure to need his power on the next tasks. Because even though it was only his second step and he estimated he had ten more to go, Jack was going to complete it.

Three. The children needed memories more than he needed working feet. That's why he had a staff, wasn't it? And the wind, he could fly.

Four. After he protected the memories he would protect the dreams because even as he felt his feet burning he knew that if Sandy could get free then the children of the world would be okay. Sandy was a force to be reckoned with.

Five. With memories and dreams free again Jack would go after wonder. Wonder needed to fuel the world to keep things fresh. Wonder would survive.

Six. Finally hope would get to roam the land again and that was that.

Seven. Tooth, her radiant colors, expressive eyes, the way she fluttered about faster than the world spun, that's why he was taking another step, that's why he wasn't fighting back.

Eight. Sandy, with his keen sense of humor and willingness to help in a prank, Sandy was why he was going to keep going.

Nine. North, with his loud voice, boisterous laughter, and overexaggeration of movements, he was why Jack was still standing.

Ten. Bunny, arrogant, closed, caring towards children but fierce on the battlefield, he was why Jack was finishing, because in the end if Venus changed her mind Jack knew Bunny would get him out because he had promised that even though they were alone they stuck together.

Solid ground, that what his bloody feet felt, blissfully cool, solid, even ground. He hit his knees, hands splayed out in front to keep his face from meeting the floor as well. He couldn't breathe but he grinned through the pain, eyes meeting Tooth's through his long bangs.

"Jack," sobbed Tooth. "Jack."

"You made it," said Venus. "I'm pleasantly surprised. Well, a deal is a deal. The fairy is free."

Before she disappeared Tooth swore she saw Jack mouth a word to her, one word, one that would keep her going even when she wanted nothing more than to try to find them all again because they were all counting on her.

One word: Memories

***Hey! I am so glad that so many people know their mythology. I was actually going for close inaccuracy because it was following Jack and he honestly doesn't care about the specifics for this woman. I should have made that more clear, that way my fault.**

**Well, Tooth is free and up next is Sandy's turn. Be prepared, I love the little guy and so saving him will need to be worth how awesome he is. Always-Ari**


	20. To Do List Pt 3

**Title- To Do List Pt. 3 **

**Summary- The one where Jack has to save Sandy.**

**Character- Jack Frost, Bunnymund, North, Sandman**

**Rating-T**

"The next task is simple," said Venus from her throne. "All you have to do is swim across this hot spring."

The floor space that housed the coals parted with a creak, pulling apart so that the coals tumbled into the water, hissing and steaming and sinking into the murky depths.

"You've been planning this for a long time," said Jack, still on the ground, eyeing the water distrustfully. "You have way too much time on your hands. Like, really, you need a hobby or something. Why don't you take up knitting or quilting or fencing? Any one of those things would be more productive than locating a hot spring and building a platform over it to house burning coals. This is a one time use thing, with knitting you could at least make yourself a nice sweater to wear."

"Get on with it, Frost," drawled Venus.

"Jack, you don't have to do this," said North, a large hand splayed across the glass. "We'll figure something out."

"Like what?" scoffed Venus. "So the oversized bird is free, big deal. She'll be busy trying to keep belief up and let's be real, not a single spirit would try to save Frost from a little bit of pain."

"That's a bit mean," said Jack, swinging his legs into the water so his body wouldn't go into shock by just jumping in at once. "There has to be at least one spirit out there who doesn't want me dead. Oh, Yuki-onna! She'd help, she likes me….she likes me a bit too much…and then I would owe her…on second thought, you're right, not a single spirit would help me."

"You're wasting time."

"You didn't put a time limit on me," said Jack as he eased himself into the water, trying not to panic from the heat or the fact that he didn't actually know how to swim. Instead he kept talking as he made his way through the searing water, keeping his mind off the pain. "And I mean, how original were you? Oh, must have been so hard to come up with a way to hurt the Spirit of Winter, oh wait, I know, I'll just use heat! For the record I don't actually melt in heat. And aren't you supposed to be a god or something? Couldn't you have been more creative on your challenges, what with your infinite knowledge? You should have taken into consideration that I'm the Guardian of Fun and done something dull like sitting in a room alone or having to survive an hour in the same room at the Easter Kangaroo without arguing. But no, you're the great Venus, Goddess of Smooth Legs, you go for the obvious to try to make me fail. But guess what."

"What?"

"I love water."

With that, Jack splashed through the rest of the spring, making sure that some of the scalding water got on Venus. He didn't know how to swim, the heat was making his skin start to blister, and the water was close to sending him into a full out panic attack but as long as he kept pretending that it was fun, that he really did enjoy it, then everything would be okay.

The end was just out of reach when Jack realized he wouldn't make it; his strength was failing, his legs were numb, his arms burned, and he could not keep his head above the water. Each time his head would go under he would panic a little more, the feeling of the water closing in around him reminding him unpleasantly of drowning because as a human, that was what drowning had felt like. The water was unfriendly and selfish and wanted to keep him forever. Each time Jack would fight to break the surface and when he did he would shake the steaming water out of his way and lock eyes with Sandy.

Sandy, silent and unable to encourage Jack or tell him no, could do nothing more than watch as the boy struggled to complete the task that would set the dreammaker free, the task that held only fear and pain. And as Sandy watched he couldn't help but wonder what he had ever done to deserve such loyalty from Jack. All the golden man had done was ignore the winter spirit for centuries, neglect him and never nurture his dreams, yet Jack didn't hesitate to risk his own well being to set him free.

Jack knew he wouldn't make it with his limbs refusing to cooperate and keep his head above the water, so he quickly froze the water just under the surface and used it as a ledge to pull himself up and out of the water, rolling onto unheated, blissfully cool, concrete. Once there he kept rolling, trying in vain to escape the water that pooled off of his body, until he hit the glass wall and was force to stop, staring up at Bunny, North, and Sandy, but he only had eyes for Sandy.

"Don't look at me like that, little man," panted Jack. "You would have done the same for me."

"I'm surprised," said Venus, her lilting voice echoing through the large building. "You're much stronger than you look, Jack. The Sand Man may go."

Sandy disappeared, leaving North and Bunny alone to stare down at the red, blistered, trembling winter spirit they had both come to regard as family, North saw him as a son and Bunny as a little brother. They could see the wild panic barely contained in Jack's eyes and could do nothing to ease it.

"So who is next, Jack?" asked Venus, the hot spring once more being concealed by the rolling floor.

"North," said Jack, his voice thin. "North is next."

"Jack, please don't," said North, kneeling down by the transparent wall. "Please, don't hurt yourself for me. I don't deserve it after everything."

"You're right there, Santa," laughed Venus, her laugh sounding like the bells in the bell tower in Burges, rolling and deep. "You certainly don't deserve to be saved, but that's something you just don't know about Jack. He's spent 300 years saving those who ignore him, it's just what he does. Now Jack, let's play a little game."

***Yes, for those who asked, this is a continuation from "Dream of a Dream", the first short in this entire thing. It was a million years ago, I know, but I had some requests to tell about what happened, so here it is. **

**I think next I will do a request...unless you guys just really want North's task, which I have to admit was just me being a sadistic person, but it's up to you. Always-Ari**


	21. To Do List Pt 4

**Title- To Do List Pt 4 **

**Summary- The one where Jack has to save North.**

**Characters-Jack Frost, North, Bunnymund**

**Rating-T**

Jack pushed himself off the ground and into a sitting position, his back resting against the glass so he couldn't see the two remaining Guardians; he didn't want them to see that he was worried he wouldn't have the strength to complete anymore tasks. Instead he faced Venus, studying her for the first time while she was busy getting his next task set up.

He supposed she was beautiful in her own right. Her hair was long, wavy, and deep brown that resembled roasted coffee beans. When she stood her legs looked about a mile long, slender and soft and hidden under yards of fabric. Her eyes were shaped like almonds, her hands had never seen real work, her feet were proportionate to her body, and her skin looked like the creamiest hot chocolate ever made. Yet through it all Jack could still see the eyes that were colored like a ridden on dirt road after a rainstorm, her nose that was definitely more Roman than Greek, and her ears that would stick out like an elephants if she ever pulled her hair back. Jack had always thought that she was better represented as a spirit of infatuation than love because quite honestly, she did not know how to love, only be admired.

There was a small layer of heat radiating through the thick glass that almost made Jack curious enough to turn and look but he knew that if he did he would not have the ability to go on, he would succumb to the pain and panic and that would be the end of Wonder and Hope.

On the other side of the glass North paced restlessly, looking for anything to smash in his frustration. He was a fighter and Jack was a child and somehow their roles had been reversed. Bunny was making North even more mad because the Guardian of Hope was just sitting here, his paw against the window near Jack's shoulder, not saying a single word. It was almost as if he didn't care.

"The game is really very simple, Jack," said Venus, returning to her throne. "See, all you have to do is survive. You have three boxes here and inside each box are several different objects with instructions attached to each. You just reach inside, grab an item at random, and follow the instructions on the card. Do that for all three and the fat man goes free."

"I think he prefers the term fluffy to fat," said Jack, pushing away from the glass and making his way painfully over to the three large boxes. "What did you do, raid a refrigerator store?"

"What?" said Venus, her head tilting to the side in confusion.

"Seriously, why do none of you spirits get out more?" said Jack, shaking his head. "You ruin all of my jokes by not understanding the simple things."

Venus chose to ignore him.

Jack reached into the first box and pulled out a 50 pound disk weight. For his size Jack was strong but looking at the weight made him question what could possibly be done with it. He set it down and read the card taped on the side written in elegant script.

"Drop weight on leg until broken," Jack read aloud before looking up at Venus. "You can't be serious."

"You don't have to," said Venus. "You can stop any time you like, it's your choice."

Jack sighed, raised the weight above his head, and threw the weight onto his extended left leg as hard as he could. He heard the sickening crack before he felt the pain but when the pain came, it came in earnest. He didn't even want to look at the mess he knew his leg would be in but the weight resting on top of the broken bone was only making it worse, so he bit his lip, got a grip on the edge of the metal disk, and flipped it off his leg.

"Next time, I get to pick the game," said Jack through clenched teeth.

He concentrated for a second and sent a thin stream of frost to his broken leg too cool the burning sensation enough so that he could move on to the next box. In that box he reached over his head so he wouldn't have to stand and pulled out an object at random for his next task.

"A flat iron," said Jack, inwardly groaning. "Come on! Don't tell me you don't know what a refrigerator is but you know what a flat iron it? You're impossible."

"Just read the note so everyone can hear it," said Venus, an evil smile tugging at her lips.

"It's already hot, just put your hand in the middle and close it until Venus says to stop," read Jack.

He didn't pause this time, he inserted his right hand and closed it with his left. As the heat warmed his perpetually cool skin, Jack looked up at the ceiling, counting in his head.

"How's that feel, Frost?" taunted Venus. "I can smell your cooking flesh from here."

"You know Venus," said Jack, his eyes glued on a rafter, voice tight but loud, as if speaking louder would drown out the pain. "You begged me to take you away, fly you to the moon or stars. You promised me Broadway shows and lit Christmas trees, countless 'I love you's' and all I had to do in return was give you the power of winter. You said that only you'd love me but I swear that I'll never find love in you. You played your piano, sang out each word, and when you were done you demanded a love song of your own, do you remember that?"

"Of course I remember," hissed Venus. "But you arrogant brat, you refused."

"You had tied me to a chair," snapped Jack, ripping his eyes from the ceiling to look right into her soul. "I was never good at songs but I can make you a poem now. Here goes.

"Your eyes are like sludge at the bottom of a sewage tank, your skin the color of sour milk, your hair-oh your hair- like burnt spaghetti, little nubs cut close to your lumpy skull. Your ears remind me of bass fins, your nose of a smashed potato. Move south to your shoulders like blue cheese melting in the sun, freckles the size of bologna and just as mysterious. Your belly button, that sign of life from your mother, if you had a mother, is like an ocean garden, green fuzz like coral creeping out to spill into the mesh of hair the texture of dry seaweed, a trail that points down to mashed pea like hips. Shall I go on? But those peas lead into stripped chicken legs down to chewed tennis ball knees, past wooden calves, and to your feet, those two large eels snaking out to trip others, sliding you into place. Oh how I love you more than I love getting cavities filled or passing kidney stones. I love you like I love finding squirming white maggots in my undercooked steak."

"Stop it!" screeched Venus, standing up. "Stop it this instant."

"As you wish," said Jack, eyes narrowed as he let go of the flat iron and let it clatter tot eh ground next to the weight. He hand was bleeding severely, his feet burned, his skin felt unpleasantly warm, his leg radiated pain, and he still had one more job to finish before North was free.

With his good hand he reached up and pulled out the final object.

"It's an ice skate," said Jack dumbly, staring at the old fashioned metal blade in his lap. "What, you want me to go skating?"

"Read the card."

Jack stared at the letters that seemed to swim on the page, never staying still long enough to form real words. Blinking profusely then staring at the paper, Jack finally made the letters behave and forced them into words.

"It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt," read Jack, his voice flat. "Cut your arm to make it hilarious."

Venus began laughing, collapsing in her throne, holding her stomach, tears streaming down her face, belly laughing as if Jack had told her a funny joke.

"That's sick," said Jack, the ice skate already on his right arm above the bleeding hand.

"Come one Jack, show me the fun you guard so closely," giggled Venus.

Jack shook his head, took a deep breath, and ran the blade across his arm, watching as a thin line of blood bubbled up from the shallow wound. The skate clattered to the ground and Jack just stared at the blood as it began to run down his arm. He didn't hear Venus taunt him, he didn't hear North yell in fury before disappearing, his entire focus was on one sickly stream of red that ran from his arm leaving a strained trail across his snowy skin, pooling together at the end like a tear drop before diving off his arm to the ground to land with a noise that drowned out the rest.

"Last task," said Venus. "Bunny's turn."

***Hello! So I was looking at the requests today because I feel really guilty about indulging in such a long arc when I know I have a bunch of requests to do and I realized how insanely far behind I am on requests! I promise you all that I have every single request written down on a document in the order in which they were made and I will write every one of them, so if I haven't posted yours yet I haven't forgotten, it will get posted, I promise. I was going to post a request instead of this chapter but everyone voted for North's task.**

**This arc will be over shortly. Only Bunny next! Anyone excited about his? **

**As always, I love hearing from you, thank you for the support, and requests are welcome. Always-Ari**


	22. To Do List Pt 5

**Title- To Do List Pt 5**

**Summary- The one where Jack has to save Bunny.**

**Characters-Jack Frost, Bunnymund**

**Rating-T**

"Last task," said Venus. "Bunny's turn."

"Let's get to it," sighed Jack, tearing his gaze away from his arm. "What do I need to do?"

"So hasty all of a sudden, aren't we?" said Venus, one corner of her mouth twisting up.

"I can't speak for you. I'm just bored. Now come on, I know you're dying to tell me what I have to do to be done with all this. Let me guess, jump into a volcano?"

"Now Jack, this one you actually inspired," said Venus, pretending to be hurt. "You said that playing with heat isn't the only way to get to you and you know, I agree. So now we are going to play a little game that, from what I hear, you will hate. See, I'm giving you an easy out here, I'm rather disappointed that you left Bunny for last, but a deal is a deal. See, I know about your rough time getting along with the Easter Bunny-everyone does- so I'm going to hide you and if Bunny wants he can find you. So it's like hide and seek only the seeker probably won't come! Isn't that fun?"

Venus succumbed to a fit of laughter while Jack looked over at Bunny to see what he thought of the game. Bunny's face was filled with disgust.

"You see Jack," hiccupped Venus. "You were never going to make it out of this, even if you completed every single task, I wasn't about to let you walk away. Because I know that I would never go find you, you're really not worth the trouble. I will give you five minutes to plead your case with the Easter Bunny and then you will be wherever I send you and Bunny can decide if he wants you around, as annoying as you are to him, or not. Have fun."

Venus snapped her fingers and the glass wall disappeared to reappear encompassing both Jack and Bunny, leaving the goddess outside of their proper hearing.

"Jack," said Bunny, running over to the injured boy. "You okay, mate?"

"Right as daisies," said Jack, flashing a half hearted grin at the rabbit. "Listen, Kangaroo, you don't need to waste time finding me."

"Quit being a prat," snapped Bunny. "Of course I'll find you. Now we don't have much time, where do you think she'll put you?"

"She won't put me somewhere hot," whispered Jack, his eyes closing in pain as Bunny inspected his hand and arm. "She won't forget that I teased her about not being creative with heat. After that I couldn't help you. Hey-why are you doing that?"

"Because you're bleeding and about to be taken who knows where and I need to stop it before then," said Bunny, continuing to wrap Jack's arm from a ripped portion of his hoodie.

"You owe me a new hoodie," said Jack.

Before Bunny could respond, Jack disappeared and so did the glass leaving Bunny on the ground a few yards from a smiling Venus.

"Well Bunny, you are free to go do whatever it is you do," said Venus with a dismissing wave of his hand. "I've had my fun here."

Venus blinked and Bunny was in front of her, towering over her, one paw pressed lightly against her throat.

"Now I'll give you one chance to tell me where you sent Jack Frost," said Bunny, his voice low, pleasant, and terrifying. "And I do mean one chance."

"But Bunny," said Venus, smiling coyly. "It's against the rules to hurt a lady. Aren't you a Guardian?"

"Damn right I'm a Guardian," growled Bunny. "The Guardian of Hope and of Children. Now, tell me where my little brother is you bitch."

(With Jack)

"At least it's cold," said Jack, laying on his back in the snow.

He was at the bottom of the rift Pitch had thrown him in after their spat in Antarctica. He considered briefly trying to get out but the cold felt so good on his overheated body and with his luck Venus had some lacky of hers watching to be make sure he didn't leave without Bunny finding him.

"Mm," sighed Jack, snuggling deeper into a drift that had piled up in the corner. "Snow."

He closed his eyes and prepared to fall into the gathering gloom in his mind but Venus had left him one final gift; when his eyes were closed he saw each task replaying in his mind, all the pain and panic rushing back and crashing on him until it was all Jack could do but curl into a ball and cry. They weren't soft sobs but heart wrenching screams of pain and panic.

Jack couldn't help it, he didn't understand why he did the things he did, something in him snapped when the Guardians were brought into his battles. Then there was pain and heat and water and he was going to drown and then more pain and he couldn't keep doing it but then he had to do something that hurt him more than all the rest combined-he was sent back to the one place he associated most with rejection and abandonment. He was alone and in pain and scared and at that moment he didn't feel very much like a Guardian, he felt like a little kid.

"Jack?"

Jack didn't respond, only sobbed harder, whether from the physical pain or emotional pain he wasn't sure nor did he care to find out. He just wanted to forget the world.

Suddenly Jack wasn't alone on the ground in the rift in Antarctica.

"Jack, come on mate, answer me," said Bunny, pulling Jack into roughly a sitting position.

Jack was too deep in his own panic filled world to realize what had happened.

"Hey, hey, you're okay," said Bunny softly, rocking the screaming boy. "I've got you, come on Jack, calm down, you're okay, it's over. You did well, kid."

"Why did you come?" sobbed Jack. "You're so stupid, why would you come? It's cold, you hate the cold."

"Cold is good for you," said Bunny, gently pulling Jack away so he could inspect the teen. "Now shut up and let me look at you."

The cold air had dimmed the angry red skin to a mild pink, his arm had bled through the makeshift bandage, his hand looked worse than it had originally, and Bunny cringed at the thought of having to set Jack's leg. For his part, Jack was attempting to get his emotions back under the careful control that he normally kept them by doing what he always did when he wanted to avoid something-he talked.

"I'm starting to think that all the really rude spirits have a guild or club or something," groaned Jack as Bunny went to work to set his leg so he could go home. "Pitch would be the leader I guess. Or maybe not, he's a bit of a diva. Personally I'd vote for the Ground Hog, he's a nasty little piece of work who only wants to annoy me, I swear. So they'd have President Ground Hog, Vice President Pitch, and Venus would probably be the defense leader or something."

"You're so strange," said Bunny. "Now I'm going to set your leg. It's going to hurt."

Before Jack could respond with a snarky comment, Bunny pulled the bone back into place and tied a splint around it all the time listening as Jack came up with the most colorful of insults he had ever heard.

"Venus sucks," said Jack to end his round of complaints.

"She won't be bothering you again," said Bunny, his mind briefly flashing back to what exactly he had to the goddess. "Come on, let's go home, I'm sure the others are worried."

"You think I can get out of the next party?" said Jack hopefully as Bunny pulled them both out of the ravine.

"No. But next time we'll be more careful when you say you have a lynching club."

As Bunny tapped the ground and made a hole, Jack looked back at the ravine which, from a distance, looked like a thin shadow, and realized it wasn't as lonely as it had been. He didn't plan on making it a summer home but he wasn't afraid of it anymore. He would have to thank Venus next time he saw her, she'd hate that.

***Oh my goodness it's finished! I finished it at last and now I can get on with requests! Yay! Not that I didn't enjoy writing this, I really did, I just feel bad that I haven't gotten requests done. **

**Thank you for the support and as always, requests welcome. Always-Ari**


	23. Broken

**Title-Broken**

**Summary- The one where the Guardians find out that Pitch broke Jack's staff.**

**Characters- Jack Frost, North, Tooth, Bunnymund, Sandman**

**Rating-K+**

**Request by-RavenSummers29**

North and Bunny were yelling again about which holiday was better, Jack was asleep with his head on the table, Sandy was messing with the elves and Tooth was talking to her fairies. It was North's birthday celebration.

"Christmas is more important than Easter and that is final," roared North, waking Jack up.

"Boys, you woke Jack," scolded Tooth. "Bunny, it's North's birthday, can't you let him have this one?"

"But, but, but he's wrong," said Bunny. "I'm not saying it."

"What if we all just say one thing we'd rather not," suggested Tooth. "That way everyone wins and we may learn something about each other."

"That's a stupid idea," yawned Jack. "I'm game."

"Then you go first," said Bunny, crossing his arms.

"No, Sandy wants to start," said Jack, pointing to the golden man who was waving his arms.

Sandy nodded and formed an image above his head.

"Ah, not another game of charades," groaned Bunny.

"Play nice, Kangaroo," said Jack, leaning back, hands linked behind his head. "No one complains when you talk and say, 'Not another game of guess what accent actually means' so grow up."

Sandy stuck out his tongue at Bunny then went back to creating signs for an over zealous fairy to guess.

"Oh, you're trying to give up smoking," said Tooth.

"No, he's obsessive compulsive," said North.

Sandy shook his head then nodded.

"So no to that being what you want to say but yes to the obsessive compulsive," said Bunny.

Sandy nodded then threw up another sign.

"Oh, you hate being looked down upon, literally," said North.

Sandy threw up his hands and waved them in celebration, floating in the air in his excitement. Then he pointed to North and Bunny and Tooth and shook his finger warningly. Jack laughed.

"Tooth, your turn," said Jack.

"Okay," said Tooth, her wings going into overdrive as she became nervous. "It was my idea after all, so I guess I should come up with something. Oh, this is so fun. Okay, well, I guess I would have to say that I'm afraid of showers."

"What?" laughed North. "Why on earth would you be afraid of showers?"

"I saw this movie once and the girl was murdered while taking a shower so now I can only take baths," explained Tooth. "Showers are quite possibly the most scary inanimate objects I have ever seen."

"Showers?"

"Yes."

"Okay, my turn," said North. "I drink cherry juice before I go to sleep every night but I hate cherry juice. I only drink it because once when I was a young spirit a kid left me juice with a note saying that if I drank it every night before bed I would never get sick. I believed him. And it's worked so far."

"Mate, you're a spirit," said Bunny. "Spirits don't get sick."

"Doesn't hurt to be sure," said North, his cheeks burning. "What about you, Bunny?"

"Fine," sighed Bunny, rubbing the top of his head. "Christmas…..is more important than Easter."

"Yes!" yelled North, jumping out of his seat and pointing. "Everyone heard it. Did anyone record it? Let it be known that today, March 15th, as the day Bunny admitted that Christmas is more important than Easter."

"Yeah, yeah, only because it's your birthday," grumbled Bunny. "Jack, you're up."

"I don't really like water," said Jack.

"Doesn't count, we already knew that," said North. "Something else."

"Um, okay," said Jack, thinking. "Well, Pitch broke my staff."

"What?" yelled Tooth, flying into the air. "But, it's fine, it's right there. When did this happen? Why didn't you tell us? How did it happen?"

"Hey, breathe," said Jack, making calming gestures with his hands, alarmed by the fairies concern. "I fixed it, see, all better."

He waved his staff in the air to prove it was whole and well.

"How did you fix it?" asked North, calmly.

"You know, I just stuck the pieces together and ta-da, fixed staff. What's the big deal? No one else got interrogated about whatever they said."

"Yes but no one else admitted to being attacked by Pitch," said Bunny. "When did it happen?"

"You really want to get into this right now?"

"Just answer the question, Jack," said North.

"Fine! It happened Easter Sunday, after you were walked through, Bunny. I left, you guys wanted me to, so I went to Antarctica. I was going to throw my memories into the ocean, I didn't want them anymore, I didn't want them if it meant I was back alone again. But I just couldn't do it, I couldn't let them go because I had just found out I wasn't always nobody. Do you know how that felt? To find out after 300 years that I used to have a life, that someone, at some point, could see me? And I held all the answers in my hand but turns out they were going to cost me the present. Then Pitch showed up and told me..well, we talked and he wanted me to join him but I said no. So, like the true grown up he is he threw a hissy fit, snapped my staff, and tossed me into a ravine with it. I fixed it then saved all of your sorry butts. So, that's it."

"Pitch…broke your staff on Easter?" said Tooth slowly.

"Yes. Now let's move on. Aren't birthday's supposed to include cake?"

"Jack, why didn't you tell us?"

"When would I do that?" said Jack, his temper rising. "First I was in Antarctica because you didn't want me around, then I was making sure Pitch was stopped, then there was the aftermath, then it was winter and now we're here. It's not like anyone asked."

All of the Guardians watched as little snowflakes began drifting through the air. The flakes were so fine that at first the Guardians thought they were dust particles catching the light but then they began getting thicker and landing leaving tiny wet stains where they rested.

"Jack, we're sorry," said North, his face earnest.

Jack visibly deflated; the snow diminished.

"Don't worry about it," said Jack, sounding sad.

"We're sorry about everything," said Tooth.

"Seriously, don't worry about it," said Jack. "I'm over it. Look, let's just start over, shall we? That whole Pitch thing was an accident waiting to happen, you four were used to working together and I was used to working alone, things were bound to mess up. We're just lucky it ended as well as it did."

"We are lucky," said North quietly. "We're lucky you are willing to give us a second chance."

"Can we not get sappy?" said Jack uncomfortably tugging at the collar of his hoodie.

"It's my birthday, I will do what I want. And right now I say it's time for a hug."

There was some complaining and some reluctance but eventually everyone joined in the hug to humor the birthday boy until Jack, deciding there had been enough touchy-feely nonsense, sent a blast of frost through everyone to get them to separate.

"Jack!" groaned three of the four Guardians, attempting to shake off the cold.

"And for future reference," said Jack when he recovered from his fit of giggles. "Elemental spirits can get sick."

"Have you ever been sick, Jack?" asked Tooth, looking over at the most mischievous member of their family.

Jack just laughed and asked about cake.

***Look! I did a request! Go me! And next I shall do another request! So yes, this one was a request about the Guardians finding out Jack's staff had been broken, takes place about a year after the Pitch-cident. **

**Requests welcome, thank you for the support. You all are amazing. Always-Ari**


	24. Oh What Fools

**Title- Oh What Fools**

**Summary- The one where Jack meets the Guardians as a kid.**

**Characters- Jack Frost, Tooth, Sandman, North, Bunnymund**

**Rating-K**

**Request By- readandwrite4evernever20**

Jack was almost four years old, his brown hair a mess, legs already running through the forest even though it was early winter with snow on the ground and he was barefoot. His shirt was worn and dirty and his pants were fraying at the ends but he seemed happy enough to be running. As he went he picked up some sticks and laughed at the sounds they made as he hit the trees with them. There was no real path through the forest, not that he would have been interested in one had it been there, it seemed the Jack enjoyed the forest just for being the forest and played with the carefreeness that came only with childhood.

It wasn't until it was late that Jack looked up and realized he was utterly lost.

"Hello?" called Jack, looking around the darkening area in hopes of seeing another living soul. "Hello? Mama? Da?"

No one answered.

"Anyone?" whispered Jack, tears beginning to flow down his cheeks.

Little Jack sat down on the ground at the bottom of a hill, knees drawn up, head resting on them as he stared out at the expanse of trees. Snow was beginning to fall but most of the flakes were caught in the tree branches above, never reaching the little boy on the ground. Tiny tears flowed down his cheeks like little diamonds.

"Hello little one," said a voice from above, making Jack look up and see the most interesting creature he had ever seen in his life. "Are you lost?"

Jack shook his head no, scooting farther away from the fidgety creature.

"It's okay," cooed Tooth, flying closer. "I'm the Tooth Fairy, I was just flying to see my friend Sandman. Do you want me to take you home?"

Jack tried to make himself look smaller than he was, burying his head under his arms as he curled into a ball on the cold damp ground.

"Oh Sandy," said Tooth. "I was just coming to meet you but then I found this little boy and I think he's lost but he won't talk to me. Oh, maybe he doesn't know how to talk yet? Do kids know how to talk this young? I just don't know. DO you know who he is?"

Jack peaked through his arms to see a golden man making pictures above his head, but that scared him too so he hid again. He didn't know why the bird was talking and he had never seen a man glow before and he was tired and scared and cold and he didn't even know where he was.

"Little one," said Tooth gently after several minutes. "We're going go now but someone is going to come by later to help you if you want, okay?"

Jack nodded but didn't look up, he just wanted the scary talking bird to go away. After what seemed like years the constant flapping of wings faded away. Jack peeked out from between his arms and found himself completely alone again. In the sky there were streams of golden light playing with each other, winding around in a whimsical fashion. Jack almost smiled but then he remembered that he was alone in the dark and lost.

Suddenly there was argueing.

"I just don't get why I have to come with you," snapped Bunny as he filed through the forest with North. "It's cold and it's just one kid. Does it really take two of us to fetch a little kid and take him home?"

"Tooth says he wasn't talking, it won't be too much trouble, just humor her, Bunny," replied North. "She seemed worried."

"When was the last time she even saw a kid?" grumbled Bunny.

Jack looked on as two giants approached him. One had a beard and his boots were larger than Jack's entire body. The second looked like a rabbit but was much too large.

"Big bunny," whispered Jack, giggling through a sniffle. "Hop, hop, hop."

"He's right there, North," said Bunny, pointing to the little boy.

Both Guardian's stopped walking, unsure of what to do with the little boy shivering on the ground who had tears still coursing down his cheeks.

"Hello little child," said North, his voice echoing off the trees. "What are you doing out here so late?"

"No," said Jack, scooting away from the man, backing into the hill until wet leaves fell into his hair.

"You're scaring the boy," said Bunny, crouching down on all fours.

"What are you doing?" asked North.

"Watch and learn," smirked Bunny. "Hey there, what's your name?"

Jack looked at Bunny silently, sizing up the Pooka.

"Twitchy nose," said Jack, pointing at Bunny's face.

North's booming laughter scared Jack enough that the boy screamed and borrowed farther into the leaves.

"Shut up, North, you're terrifying the little bugger," hissed Bunny. "It's okay, little man, it's okay, North's not going to hurt you."

"Scary," said Jack.

"He can be," said Bunny, chuckling lowly. "But he's an alright guy. He's a bit big, like I'm sure your father is. Is your father a big man?"

"Don't tell daddy," said Jack, sitting upright. "He'll be mad. Don't tell him."

"Alright, we won't tell your dad," assured Bunny, alarmed by the sudden burst of fear from the little boy. "What's your name?"

"Jacky," said Jack.

He reached out a tiny hand and touched Bunny's furry face. Bunny didn't move, he let the boy pet him, he always had a soft spot for children and quite frankly Jack was adorable.

"Well Jacky," said Bunny, stepping closer. "What are you doing out here?"

"Having fun," smiled Jack, relaxing. "Forest is fun, lots of trees for climbing. But I'm lost. And cold."

"Where do you live?"

"Little house," said Jack, gesturing with his hands. "Daddy built it. It's by a lake on the edge of town."

"You want me to take you home now?"

Jack nodded and raised his arms trustingly. Bunny picked him up and stood, facing North with a smug grin as the shivering boy snuggled into his warm fur.

"How did you do that?" asked North as they began walking out of the forest.

"Little kids like me," bragged Bunny.

"Why doesn't he like me?" pouted North.

"You saw how he reacted when I mentioned his father, the man must be strict or something. Don't take it personally."

"Maybe I should show him the sleigh. Everyone loves the sleigh."

"He's tired, North, let's just take him home."

North grumbled but didn't stop walking. Soon they had reached the house Jacky had described and set him in the small pile of blankets just under a window that they assumed was his bed. By that time Jack had fallen asleep and would think it was all a dream.

"Well, it's been fun and all," said Bunny once they were safely back in the cover of the trees. "But I'm freezing."

"See you at Christmas," said North, shaking Bunny's paw. "You just didn't want him to like me more, that's why you didn't want him to see the sleigh."

"In your dreams," scoffed Bunny, tapping the ground and disappearing into a tunnel.

***Hello! So, I have two things to say! First of all, I will be posting another chapter today, so keep your eyes open. **

**Secondly...bugger, I forgot...well, I'm sure I will remember by the time I post the next chapter. So yeah, look for the second thing then. Always-Ari**


	25. Pain in the Side

**Title-Pain in the Side**

**Summary- The one where Jack has an appendicitis and needs to be fixed.**

**Characters- Jack Frost, Sandman, North, Bunnymund, Tooth**

**Rating-T**

**Request By- Water Girl**

"I hate summer," said Jack as he landed in Australia, his feet instantly frosting a small portion of the ground. "Why couldn't Tooth just get him herself?"

Jack found the secret entrance to the Warren and dove in, flying unsteadily until he hit more sunlight. There he landed, leaning against his staff and panting, before surveying the peaceful surroundings.

"Oi!" yelled Jack, doing his best to imitate Bunny's accent. "Kangaroo, Tooth wants everyone to meet at her palace. Something about a dinner or I don't really know, she just said to get you."

"Well tell her that she can come get me herself if she insists on dragging me out there."

"I would but-damn I really hate summer-she told me to get your furry ass there one way or another."

"What's with the sudden need to curse?" asked Bunny, hopping into view.

Jack clutched his side, leaning heavily on his staff as he did.

"Frostbite?" said Bunny, approaching Jack an increasingly brisk pace. "You alright mate?"

"I'm fine," panted Jack, sinking to his knees. "Damn it, just the heat. I told Tooth I didn't want to fly to Australia during the summer. Everything wants to kill you here, especially the heat."

"Jack, what's going on?" asked Bunny, running up to the panting boy.

"I don't know," said Jack, teeth clenched. "It's not normally this bad. I'll get a headache, maybe worse, but never like this."

"Okay, where does it hurt?" said Bunny calmly.

"Side. Damn it! I'm fine, I swear, it's been going on all day, let's just go to Tooth's and find out what she wants."

"Just sit down for a minute and shut up," snapped Bunny, forcing Jack to stay on the ground. "Now, tell me exactly what hurts and when it started."

"I can't do both, either I shut up or I talk to you. Damn!"

"Alright, that's it," said Bunny, picking up Jack. "I'm making the executive decision that we are going to Tooth's to find Sandy so we can get you help."

"Bunny, set me down," said Jack. "I'm not a baby, I can walk."

"You're a right pain, you know that?"

"A pain in my side," said Jack, chuckling before it turned into a groan.

"Shut up," said Bunny fondly before rushing to Tooth's palace.

At Tooth Palace Bunny set Jack on a couch and left in search of Tooth and Sandy and anyone else who could help.

"I hate summer," whimpered Jack, curling into the fetal position. "It's too hot. It makes me sick. Literally."

Suddenly there was more noise in the room, too much noise for Jack, so used to silence and the wind, that he had to cover his ears and shut his eyes, as if that would help.

"But what's wrong with him?" asked Tooth.

"He says his side hurts," responded Bunny. "And he's running a fever."

"But spirit's don't get sick," boomed North.

"Make it stop," said Jack, removing his hands from his ears to wrap around his stomach. "Make it stop!"

"Alright, alright," cooed Tooth, smoothing Jack's hair down. "Where does it hurt?"

"Go away," moaned Jack. "Leave me to die. Or melt. It's too damn hot here!"

"To the sleigh!" yelled North.

North tucked Jack under his arm and led the way to the sleigh, his large boots eating making the distance disappear. They all piled into the sleigh and Jack promptly curled up on the floorboard. North hopped into the drivers seat and snapped the reins. Tooth flew ahead while Sandy and Bunny picked a seat.

"Come on, Frostbite, let's get off the ground and into a seat," said Bunny, his mind off the sleigh ride and on the pained teenager. He picked Jack off the ground and pulled him onto the seat next to him.

"No," whimpered Jack.

"Jack, we think it's your appendix," said Bunny, petting Jack's hair soothingly. "We're going to North's now where it's nice and cold and we'll fix you right up, sound good?"

Jack groaned and leaned into the touch, eyes closed. Bunny nodded to Sandy and the golden man knocked Jack out with dream sand.

At the Pole, North carried Jack down the many halls to his infirmary where they stopped, each one uncertain of how to proceed. Jack was immortal, he wasn't supposed to get sick, they only ever had to stitch immortals up, never take bits out of their bodies.

"We can't just keep staring at him," said Tooth at last, fluttering forward with her normal cloud of fairies. "Girls, let's get to work. We need to sterilize the area, I'm going to need hypoallergenic stitches, a scalpel, and-"

"Tooth, what are you doing?" asked North.

"Fixing him!" snapped Tooth, glaring at the larger man with a ferocity that reminded North of how she was in battle. "Now go get me the things I need or I'm throwing you out. Sandy, monitor his vitals, make sure he stays asleep."

Sandy saluted her like he would a general before dropping down to sit by Jack's head.

The ordered chaos and quick instructions from Tooth had them opening Jack up and removing the vestigial organ in short order. Then they closed the wound, cleaned the area, bandaged him, and just had to wait for the fever to recede. They gathered chairs and watched their youngest member as if he were the most interesting show on the planet.

"Frostbite's a bit of a drama queen when he's sick, isn't he?" said Bunny at last, amusement clear in his voice. "I mean, he told us to leave him there to die; liked we'd actually do that."

"How would he know that?" said Tooth quietly, her eyes locked on Jack's pale face. "We would have left him to die before."

"Yeah, but we wouldn't now," said North bracingly. "That's the best we can offer him."

"But we would have now as well if I hadn't sent him to fetch Bunny," said Tooth, her wings fluttering in agitation. "We wouldn't have known otherwise and he wouldn't have told us. Why? Because we never cared in the past."

"We can't just fix that overnight," snapped North. "What do you suggest we do? We can't force him to trust us."

Sandy knocked both Tooth and North out with his dream sand before their arguing could wake Jack.

"Thanks Sandy," yawned Bunny. "Go do your job, I'll watch them. Jack will be fine now. He'll be up and making a mess five minutes after he wakes up."

Sandy made a face that said 'Really? He'll be better by then?'

"No," chuckled Bunny, shifting to get more comfortable in his seat. "But I doubt that'll stop him."

Sandy laughed silently before drifting out the window, leaving a golden trail of sand behind him that wrapped around Bunny and put the Pooka to sleep; Sandy decided that the yeti's could keep watch over them for the night. Phil, after all, had grown rather attached to the winter spirit.

***Ta-da! Here is the second chapter of the day! You are welcome...unless you didn't like it, in which case, you are welcome anyway!**

**Oh, right, and number two from the last note (I remembered!) I decided that the person who gets the 153rd review gets to have their request pushed to the front of the line. That can mean a request they have already made or one their wish to make. And it's the 153rd review because I like that number and I feel like people overlook odd numbers. **

**So yeah, until next time. Always-Ari**


	26. Night Walkers

**Title-Night Walkers**

**Summary- The one where Jack hunts vampires.**

**Characters- Jack Frost, Bunnymund**

**Rating-T**

**Request By- Water Girl**

"Can you believe this?" complained Bunny, tossing an empty mug into the fire at North's place. "This is the most ridiculous book I have ever read. The president of the United States does not have a pet vampire. That's just insane. Who would red this crap?"

"His name is Cade," said Jack from his end of the couch farthest away from the fire, not looking up from his own book. "Most of that story is accurate, I mean, they had to change some names for the sake of protection, but it's rather close to the truth. Cade's not a bad guy, as far as vampires goes, a bit stiff but whatever."

"Are you trying to tell me that you know him?" said Bunny, disbelief clear in his voice.

"I'm not stupid," said Jack, still more interested in his book than the conversation. "I've never introduced myself. Are you kidding? He'd kill me. No, I've just kept an eye on him for a few decades, helped on a couple of his missions, stuff like that."

"What? Why? Wait, let's assume for a minute that you would have a reason to watch a vampire, which you don't, vampires aren't like that. Have you met Dracula? Probably not, actually, he hasn't been heard from in almost 100 years, good riddance too. But that's not the point, the point is that vampires are like Dracula, no sunlight, all that jazz, not this Cade guy or those idiots from the Twitler book or whatever the hell it's called."

"You're wrong," said Jack. "Let me tell you a story, Bunny, about my past and why I know specific vampires."

_They were cold, just like he was; that's what attracted him to them in the first place. He could almost see body heat, rather like thermal imaging, but those men and women didn't emit any. Jack, at almost 100 years old, began stalking the stalkers of the night._

_At first it was out of sheer curiosity, Jack wanted to know why those people were always so cold yet never freezing. Then it was out of morbid curiosity as he watched the cold people kill the warm ones and devour their blood. He had tried to stop it but the humans went through him when he tried to pull them away and the cold ones went through him when he tried to tackle them. After that Jack began strolling through towns, listening to whispers until he found their name: vampires._

_By then, Jack had learned that while he could not touch people physically, his snowballs certainly hit them. He had also taken to chopping wood in the night with a stolen axe and replenishing peoples wood piles during winter. It wasn't much, but Jack felt bad when he came across a house that was running low and all he could do was make it colder. In his own invisible way, it was how he apologized. _

_One night, Jack was in the forest cutting wood when he heard the vampires approach. It was only two, a young looking woman and an older looking man. Jack swung the axe over his shoulder and hopped on top of his staff as he listened to the two talk._

_"There's something strange going on," said the woman._

_"Elsa, you're overreacting again," snapped the old man, his voice posh. "You just didn't see the mortal that threw the snow."_

_"It ruined my meal," growled Elsa. "That woman was cold, blood frozen, by the time I got back to her. I'm telling you, Richard, there's something out there trying to off us."_

_"You're not wrong," said Jack softly, taking careful aim, pulling the axe back and releasing it in one smooth motion._

_It found it's mark and Elsa went down without a scream. Richard jumped back and looked in the direction that the axe had come from. Jack smiled down at him, suddenly curious about the vampire. Jack had expected him to run yet he stayed still, trying to find the enemy. Jack obligingly jumped from his perch and landed softly, sauntering right up to the vampire who still could not see him._

_"I wonder," said Jack, reaching down and placing a hand on Elsa. "Do you think, Richard, that I can freeze the frozen?"_

_Jack sent a burst of power into Elsa's body which glowed momentarily before appearing to settle, the only difference being that she was rock hard, frozen all the way through. At that, Richard screamed and ran off. Jack laughed while he tugged at the worn handle of his axe. The object stayed buried in Elsa's frozen body._

_"Damn it," cursed Jack. "Next time I need to remember to take the axe out first, then freeze the body."_

_Jack stopped moving, surprised by what he had just said. _

_"Next time?" said Jack aloud, a habit he had picked up over the years alone. "So I'm going to make this a regular thing, then, is that it? What, Jack Frost, Vampire Hunter?"_

_He cocked his head to the side, his mind playing out the possibilities for him, from long nights, blood on his hands, and possible death, to people actually seeing him and being able to protect the mortals. _

_"This could be fun," said Jack, a smile spreading across his lips._

_Over the next 150 years Jack came across and destroyed hundreds of different breeds of vampire. He had learned quickly that not all vampires were the same, some had retractable fangs, some repaired their wounds much faster than others, some sparkled in the sunlight, some couldn't go in the sunlight at all, and some were actually trying to do good in the world. They could not change what they were, the ultimate predators, but a select few tried to make up for it by doing what they could. Jack made sure to stalk his prey, sometimes for months on end, before making a move, in case they were one of the few decent vampires. More often than not they weren't and Jack would destroy them. _

"You're telling me that you killed vampires for a 150 years?" said Bunny, still not sure he believed Jack.

"Yes," said Jack smugly. "And I was very good at it, thank you very much."

"Then why did you stop?"

"It was no fun," said Jack, his face turning dark. "I destroyed them because they hurt the humans and scared the kids but it was too easy to destroy things that couldn't see me. It also hurt, being reminded every time that children will believe in vampires but not in me….that vampires won't even believe in me. So I stopped. Most of the vampires have learned by now that if they kill a child they won't live out their next week, anyway. Oh, and Bunny, you asked if I have ever heard of Dracula?"

"Yeah, so?"

"I killed him."

"We have got to get you a hobby, mate," said Bunny, shaking his head.

"I was thinking about taking up archery, actually," said Jack, brightening at the prospect of a new game.

"Just what we need, Jack Frost with a bow and arrows."

***So maybe not exactly what Water Girl had in mind, but hey, I rather liked the idea of different breeds of vampires. Sorry if you like Twilight, I have read all of the books and I did not enjoy them, but that's my personal preference. I also had one line I really wanted to throw in there but couldn't make it work...so it will have to wait for a different short that it fits in. **

**The 153rd reviewer gets their request pushed to the front (if they already requested something) or they can request something that I will write next. If you don't remember exactly what you requested, no worries, I have a nice orderly list with names and requests so I will know. **

**Have a splendid day! Always- Ari**


	27. The Help

**Title- The Help**

**Summary- The one where Jack has some help but it's not what he expected.**

**Characters- Jack Frost**

**Rating-K+**

**Request By- Winter Fairy and AllieSnow**

They were tiny and annoying and quite frankly he had no interest in them. He didn't care that they were supposed to help him, he didn't care that the Spirit of Winter before him had used them, Jack Frost did not like the little fairies and that was final. It wasn't personal, fairies just weren't his style. Something about them made him feel like he should wear a fluffy blue cape and shoes with bells and if there was one thing he hated more than those blasted fairies it was shoes.

"Jack, you left some snow on the road over there so we cleaned it up," said Periwinkle, the leader of the hoard. "You really ought to be more careful, someone could trip or it could cause an accident and someone could get hurt. You can't go around hurting people, Jack, you know that."

"No offense, Periwinkle," said Jack, rubbing his eye in irritation. "But I just don't care. I'll leave snow where I want it and you can clean up when you feel like it but you really don't need to tell me every time you think I put a bit of snow where it shouldn't go. Maybe I wanted the snow there for a specific reason."

"Don't be silly, Jack," laughed Periwinkle, who was no tall than Jack's hand, her silvery wings beating rapidly to keep her at his eye level. "Of course there was no reason to put snow there. You never have a reason, you just do things without thinking of the consequences."

She hadn't meant it to be mean, she wasn't attempting to be spiteful, like the other fairies she was just blissfully wrapped up in her own simple world that she didn't know her words cut deep into Jack's soul. That was the problem with those stupid fairies; they had each other, a community, a home, and they just didn't understand why Jack sometimes caused problems with his powers. They enjoyed winter, they loved making everything to crisp and perfect, but most of all they liked making everything safe. They would only talk to Jack when he had done something they thought was wrong and even then it was always in a cheerful yet slightly condescending tone that made them sound disappointed in a small child. They never let Jack know where they lived, they never invited him to play, they just found him after they cleaned up his perceived messes and lightly reprimanded him for it.

Jack wanted to pull out his hair in frustration. The little fairy didn't seem to notice his climbing temper as she continued to twitter on and on about his responsibilities and how he needed to be more careful and learn to stop and think things through until Jack launched into the air and let the wind carry him as fast as it could to the top of Mount Everest. There the air was too thin for his supposed fairy helpers, the wind too strong and the air too cold. Only the true winter spirit could stand it with only his thin pants and favorite blue hoodie.

"You know, when I asked for help this isn't what I meant," said Jack, staring at the moon from his perch on top of the world. "I was hoping for someone a little more my size who I could actually talk to, not some little wisp of a fairy who only talks to me when I screwed up and tells me when I don't act like the spirit before me."

Jack flopped back into the snow, arms spread wide as if to welcome a hug or create a snow angel, which he did neither.

"Would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?" asked Jack absently.

It was an absent type of pondering that got him there in the first place. At first the fairies had been interesting to him, small, delicate, and loved winter, but as time progressed they began wearing on his nerves. He had to keep reminding himself that they were only trying to help, that they, like him, were only doing what they were created to do, but they annoyed him all the same.

"No, I'm not about to do you any favors," said Jack, answering his own question. "Oh my goodness, I'm talking to the moon as if it cares."

"You know, Jack, you may be in the wrong line of work," said Periwinkle, landing on Jack's forehead.

"You think so?" said Jack absently, his eyes still glued on the sky. "I rather thought I was made for bringing winter."

"That's not what I meant," said Periwinkle. "I meant that maybe you weren't meant to have help. Maybe you were weren't supposed to have so much responsibility after all. You're good at bringing winter and having fun but I don't think you were ever supposed to be in charge of us fairies. No offense."

"Then why don't you go do what you do best, cleaning up my messes, and leave me alone?" suggested Jack. He wasn't mad anymore, all of his anger had been swept away with the wind.

"We already decided to do that," said Periwinkle. "I came here to tell you that we will always be around but we aren't going to interact with you again. It's not personal, we just can't work for you."

"Have a safe flight home," said Jack, closing his eyes as if to sleep.

Periwinkle looked down on Jack with a sad look on her face; she had really wanted it to work out with Jack, he seemed like a nice enough boy but seemed to put fun before logic at all times. With one final look, she flew off, away from that frozen top of the world. In her mind, she felt like Tinkerbelle would have been better suited to deal with a perpetual child full of life and fun, Periwinkle just didn't think that life was for her, forever working with one overly active kid.

Jack stayed on his back, looking at the sky but not really seeing it, for several hours after the tiny fairy left. Her words echoed through his mind because she had said they weren't going to interact with him again but that sounded an awful lot like they didn't want anything to do with him.

And quite frankly, he couldn't blame them.

***Alright...that started out as a really fluffy idea but turned out rather angsty...and I don't honestly think I have ever written something that ends that way...really, there ought to be props to me for being able to unwittingly turn a really cute idea into something not at all cute...**

**Alright, I rather liked the idea of the the whole "certain number reviewer gets a prize". Oh, and the winner of that contest was Dreamer-pilot, so Dreamer-pilot, if you're reading this, either review or PM me with your request and it will be up next. Or, if you want, you can pass it on to someone else or ask for someone else's request to be next. Your choice.**

**Right, so what I was saying about liking the reviewer prize bit, I think I will do that some more things like that! So the next one will be about getting 2 updates in a day. Haven't decided how to do that, so if you have ideas let me know please.**

**One last thing-yes, if you have sent me requests via a PM I do get them and I place them in the line-up accordingly. I am surprizingly organized with this, which means I have one giant list, all numbered, with the request and the name of the requester, and I update it constantly with new requests as they come in and highlight the ones that I have completed. **

**Hope this finds you well. Always- Ari**


	28. Boiling Snow

**Title- Boiling Snow**

**Summary- The one where Jack's lynching club returns with a vengeance.**

**Characters- Jack Frost, North, Tooth, Sandy, Bunnymund**

**Rating-T**

**Request By- Dreamer-pilot**

His eyes were closed because in his opinion black was better than red. It wasn't anything new, three years after joining the Guardians he was still the object of hate for most of the spirit world. Quite frankly he had asked for it, he knew better than to take the short cut over Death Valley but he had been running late and was in a rush to get back to the Pole and wasn't thinking. It was early winter in the northern hemisphere and Jack had been busy doing some afternoon frosting and storm building when he caught sight of a clock in a town and realized how late it was. Always one for leaping before he looked, Jack had left using the quickest route without rerouting the wind too much, which was how he had ended up over Death Valley. Jack learned very quickly that no one had informed that particular desert that summer was over.

He had been ambushed and, outnumbered and overheating, had gone down in a spectacular fashion before the other spirits, his lynching club, had left him in the heat of the sun to die or melt or whatever it was that winter spirits did in heat.

"We get sick," said Jack aloud though he knew no one was listening. "In case anyone was curious, winter spirits get sick just like any other spirit would in this blasted heat."

But all he could do was talk and even that was failing as his strength literally bled out of him to decorate the packed earth beneath him like an abstract work of art that no one could appreciate because he was still invisible to most of the world.

"I'm going to be late to my own birthday party," groaned Jack, managing to roll onto his stomach but having to stop there as more pain wracked his frame. "They're going to kill me."

He thought he said that out loud but he wasn't sure.

-break-

"Where are they?" asked North, pacing the globe room floor relentlessly. "It's been three hours, Jack's not normally this late. And Bunny hasn't been late to anything in 249 years."

"Relax," said Tooth, taking a momentary break from directing her hoard of fairies to spare a glance at North. "Winter has just started, you know how busy Jack gets at the beginning of winter. I'm sure Bunny is just tracking him down instead of waiting here. He always ends up having to find Jack anyway."

"Something is wrong, I'm telling you," said North. "I feel it in my belly."

"Let's give them a few more minutes before we start panicking," said Tooth, returning to her work.

Sandy shrugged in a gesture that meant he agreed with Tooth, leaving North to collapse in an armchair and wait. He hated waiting.

-break-

"Where the hell are you taking me?" demanded Bunny as the wind pushed him along.

Bunny had been about to leave for the Pole when the wind had swept through his Warren, surrounding him like a miniature cyclone, picking up dust and leaves in it's agitation. It howled in Bunny's ears, raked through his fur, and tugged at him until he eventually caved and followed it. He walked to annoy it, sure that Jack and the wind had teamed up to irritate him; if he had to follow the blasted force of nature Bunny wanted to be sure that it was well aware that he was not happy about it.

"At least it's not the bloody cold," grumbled Bunny, stalking through the gradually cooling valley as the sun set. "You know that I'm late for Jack's party, right? I thought you liked the kid."

Suddenly the wind rushed ahead and swirled back, bringing with it the smell of frost, winter, and blood, causing Bunny to sneeze. When the wind did it a second time the smell of blood was almost overpowering to Bunny's sensitive nose and sent him reeling after the wind until he caught sight of Jack, a broken, bloodied, unaware Jack, and knew that next time he would run when the wind came for him.

-break-

"Breathe," commanded Bunny, his calm voice cutting through the pain clouding his mind. "Listen to me, Jack. Breathe. You have to do this. Come on, I'll do it with you."

"Hurts," gasped Jack, forcing his eyes open to find Bunny's deep emerald eyes filling his vision.

"I know, Frostbite, I know," said Bunny, his tone unrelenting. "But I need you to breathe with me. You're going to be fine but you have to breathe. On three. One, two, three."

Jack gasped, filling his burning lungs with air and releasing it just as quickly. It felt like nails were being dragged through his muscles, tearing at fibers, carving off fat, all from a single breath to shallow to do much good. Tears streamed down his face, mingling with blood, diluting the red to rivers. Dimly he was aware of someone else working to bind up his wounds, but Aster's voice overrode everything but the pain.

"Again, Jack," said Bunny forcefully. "Count in your head to three, then breathe into a count of three, and out to a count of three. You can do this, come on Jack, you have to do this."

Jack tried but couldn't make it past one. What came after one? What came after one? Suddenly he was alone and there was nothing grounding him to the world and he still couldn't figure out what came after one. But he was still alone and that scared him more than the pain that ruled his body or his panic over not knowing what came after one. He was supposed to do something important after one, something that could not be ignored. Someone had said he had to, someone he trusted; but that was foolish, he didn't trust anyone.

"How's he doing?" asked North, tying off another set of stitches.

"How much more?" snapped Bunny, stress coloring his voice for the first time as he watched Jack's eyes flutter open and closed as if he were searching for something. "And where the hell is Sandy? Jack can't keep this up without some relief."

Jack screamed.

Something was tearing out his insides and then setting them on fire. And then doing a dance on them. And painting the walls with them. And all Jack could do was dig his nails into the sheet under him and scream as if that would help, would somehow lessen the pain. It didn't.

"Jack, come on, Jack," said Bunny, big paws pinning the boy down so North could continue working on fixing his wounds. "Jack, you've got to stop screaming, we're trying here, buddy."

Jack stopped screaming, stopped thrashing, stopped everything. His body, unable to cope with the sheer amount of injuries and impulses slamming through his nerve endings, shut down. Jack quit breathing and no matter how Bunny yelled refused to start again.

***Part 1 for the review winner! It started out as a one-shot but then it grew...and grew...and grew...and I'm sorry if it doesn't make perfect sense yet, it is split into parts but there will being more that explains just what happened, who was there, all those things you want to know.  
**

**Hope you enjoyed it so far!**

**Always- Ari**


	29. Intervention

**Title- Intervention**

**Summary- The one where the Guardians have an intervention with Jack.**

**Characters- Jack Frost, Tooth, North, Sandman, Bunnymund**

**Rating-K+**

"I wasn't planning on running through the Workshop in a dress but hey, things happen," said Jack, leaning casually against the doorframe of North's sitting room while the other Guardians looked on.

"Is there a reason you are in a dress?" said Tooth gently, her feet actually hitting the ground in surprise.

"This isn't just a dress," said Jack, pushing away from the doorframe and twirling. "It's an evening gown."

The silvery blue floor length fabric swirled about his ankles, flaring out elegantly against his long, thin legs. It was strapless, fitted, and would have been lovely on any one but on Jack it just looked ridiculous. He had toppled into the room, laughing his head off to find his fellow Guardians relaxing over a cup of assorted warm beverages. Jack had paused before laughing even harder at their faces. It then took him another ten minutes to calm down enough to talk to them with only a smirk shining through.

"Where did you get that dress?" asked Bunny, not sure if he should be worried or laugh.

"I found it," said Jack, wiggling his hips, pleased with himself. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm off to have tea with the queen."

Before the others could try to get a better excuse for his clothing choice, Jack flew away.

-break-

"And you're wearing an American flag skirt…why?" said North, attempting to understand why Jack was about to launch himself out of a window of the Workshop in a blue suit coat and American flag skirt.

"What skirt?" asked Jack, confused.

North pointed.

"Oh this," said Jack, smiling. "This isn't a skirt. This, my dear old fellow, is a kilt. It's actually a utilikilt. See, it has pockets, you know, for important things."

"Important things?" scoffed North. "Important things like what?"

"I don't know," shrugged Jack. "Baseballs, stamps, marshmellows, stuff like that."

"I see," said North slowly, stroking his beard. "And why are you wearing that American flag utilikilt?"

"I'm going to see the President of the United States of America, I need to look festive."

In a flash, Jack was gone, leaving only swirling snowflakes and a confused North in his wake.

-break-

"Excuse me sir," said Jack in an artificially deep voice, floating just above Bunny's eye level. "But are you aware of how fast you were going just now?"

Bunny eyed Jack like one would eye a new dish served at a dinner party, with eloquent disbelief and a bit of unease. Jack was dressed as police officer-fire fighter hybrid with the police shirt, fire fighter pants and boots, police belt, and fire fighter hat. He seemed to barely be concealing a grin as he hovered next to the Pooka.

"What are you going to do about it?" said Bunny, crossing his arms.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you a ticket," said Jack, scribbling on a stolen pad before ripping off the paper and handing it to Bunny. "You be more careful next time. Have a nice day, sir."

Jack flew off before Bunny could finish reading the ticket that was for twelve carrot cakes to be delivered to Jack's pond.

-break-

"Jack, we need to talk," said North, snapping the door shut.

Jack found himself staring at North's personal workroom, the normal ice sculptures swept to the side to make room for the four original Guardians to stand under a sign the said Intervention.

"Alright," said Jack, meandering around the room with lazy strides, fingers trailing absently over the wooden surfaces, leaving delicate frost trails as he did.

"We need to talk about your choice in clothes," said Tooth, trying to be gentle with what she presumed was Jack's breakable soul.

"Oh, come on, my clothes are boring," said Jack, exhaling with a large sound. "Can't we talk about dragons instead?"

"Jack, please try to be serious," said Tooth. "We aren't trying to be mean, I promise, but we're a bit concerned with some of the things we've seen you in over the last few months that may not be really suitable for…well…"

"Stop tiptoeing around it," said Bunny, his ever short patience burning through quickly. "Forget trying to spare his ego and tell him already."

"If there is anything more important than my ego in this room I want it found and destroyed," declared Jack, giving life to an ice creation and sending it soaring through the room. "After all, we can't harm my gentle feelings, can we?"

"We do you dress normal most of the time and like an idiot the rest of the time?" snapped Bunny, annoyed that Jack refused to be serious.

"What do you mean?" said Jack, finally settling down, sitting on the table and staring at the others.

"You wore a dress and a skirt and once you pulled Bunny over while in a police outfit," said North. "We are concerned Jack, that's not normal behavior."

"And you're really the best judge on what's normal and not?" said Jack with a half smile. "I mean, you live in a cave and talk to yeti's which, you have to admit, isn't exactly normal."

North wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"Look, I appreciate your concern and all but honestly, I don't need an intervention," said Jack. "I wear different outfits sometimes because I like to go to important events and pretend that I'm a part of it. I've been doing it for ages, you know, to pass the time. It's actually quite amusing to have tea with the queen, catching up on the events, and mocking everything."

"You do that…for fun?" said Tooth slowly, as if clarifying a vital point.

"Yes," laughed Jack. "It's like a game. You know, like if someone is having a conversation with another person but you respond to them as if they are talking to you when really they aren't, it's like that. It's fun."

"Is everything a joke to you?" said Bunny, the anger leaving his voice to be replaced with a hint of awe. He had never met anyone who could find the joy in absolutely everything, even being invisible.

"Funny things are," said Jack. "Now, if we are finished here, I was planning on crashing the Olympics that are about to start."

"Wait, Jack," said North, placing a large hand on Jack's small shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Can we, you know, come with you?" asked Tooth, looking uncertain.

"Of course!" said Jack, a real smile breaking across his features. "But you have to dress up. It's the Olympics, after all, so you can either pick your favorite country or wear a toga, or dress in the native garb of the country it's being held in. Even you, Bunny."

"What?!" grumbled Bunny. "I'm not wearing any dress, mate."

"They're called togas," corrected Jack haughtily. "What's the matter, Kangaroo? Afraid I'll beat you in the races?"

North, Sandy, and Tooth as laughed as Jack shot off, Bunny close on his heels.

***I know, it's not the second part of the last one, but I had a very stressful past few days and needed to just write something fluffy. I hope you enjoyed my attempt at making something entirely filled with fluff because I really don't know if it worked out.**

**The next week is going to be crazy busy for me, just as a fair warning, so I may not get to post as often as I normally do. Hope that's not a problem. **

**Oh, and I have decided that if we get to 200 reviews by the time I post the next short, I will post two shorts in one day. **

**Well, hope you have a fantastic day! Always- Ari**


	30. Boiling Snow Pt 2

**Title- Boiling Snow Pt. 2**

**Summary- The one where Jack get's beat up by his lynching club.**

**Characters- Jack Frost, Tooth, Sandman, North, Bunnymund**

**Rating-T**

**Request By- Dreamer-pilot**

"I'm going to be late," moaned Jack as he flew through the air. "Come on, wind, we need to hurry up."

The wind whistled in Jack's ear, chirping in a language Jack only understood if it wanted him to understand, which wasn't often. Most of the time Jack was convinced that the wind liked to make him guess but for centuries it was all he had that could talk back, so he took the chance.

"I don't care, just get me to the pole the quickest way possible," said Jack, curling around his staff, flopping on his back, and closing his eyes. "I'll just take a quick nap. Haven't slept in a few days, Sandy will be pissed if he finds out. Wake me when we get there."

He didn't see who hit him, he only knew that he hadn't even fallen asleep when he was crashing into the ground. It wasn't the soft snow he was used to falling in, it was hard, dry, packed earth that reeked of exposure to sunlight and heat in a way the made Jack's stomach churn. He knew that smell, he hated that smell, that smell never meant anything good.

"Hello, Jack," said Dullahan, astride his black horse. "Still careless on the wind I see."

"I'm amazed you can see anything," drawled Jack, getting to his feet. "I mean, seeing how you have no head and all."

Dullahan snorted imperiously down at Jack, his head securely under his arm. Jack had always found it amusing that the head of his lynching club had no head but every time he brought it up with them they took it the wrong way and beat him up but Jack figured that they would beat him up anyway, so he didn't bother stopping. Dullahan had always gotten on Jack's nerves, forever riding his horse around trying to find a new head by stealing other's, it wasn't fun.

"What do you want us to do with him?" asked Orion, a lesser summer spirit, grabbing Jack from behind with his burning hands, steam erupting where heat met cold.

"We're going to have some fun," said Dullahan. "You like fun, don't you Jack? You always liked poking fun at everyone else, let's do a little poking fun at you."

"I have a feeling you want to do more poking than fun," said Jack darkly, the heat making his head swim a bit.

"Shut up," said Orion, slamming his fist against Jack's head, his sun drop ring making a deep gash that spilled out blood to stain the white hair hiding it.

"That wasn't very nice," grunted Jack, focusing more of his power under Orion's grip, causing the other spirit to let go with a cry of pain.

As Jack shook out his arms, attempting to banish the lingering sting of direct heat, he was tackled to the ground by Emory, Orion's jealous wife, who began to punch any part of him that she could reach. The rest of the lynching club seemed to take their cues and joined in their fun until Jack wasn't sure how many there were or if he was even fighting in the first place. There was too much heat, too many bodies, too many limbs, and the pain that kept mounting until he did something he had not done in centuries during a fight; he gave up. As they continued to beat him, his mind began to pull away and focus on something, anything, else that was not hurting him. He felt tiny tears trailing out of his eyes and down his cheeks, aware of them only because they were icy against his overheating skin, and that felt beautiful.

"Oh look," laughed Dullahan, gripping Jacks chin and forcing the others to pause and discover what their leader found to amusing. "The little baby is crying."

The others laughed but Jack drowned out their mirth with his tears, relishing in the glorious cold that each one brought as it coursed down his face. He just wanted it to be over, he wanted them to leave him alone or at least tell him why they hated him so much. But all he got was the blessedly cold tears.

He wasn't even aware of when they left, the only thing that brought his mind back to reality was when the unforgiving sun was no longer blocked by bodies that only meant him harm. He knew he should take inventory of his injuries, he knew he needed to get out of the sun, he knew there was somewhere he had to get, somewhere important.

"We get sick," said Jack, trying out his voice to see if it still worked because there was certainly no one there to listen. "In case anyone was curious, winter spirits get sick, just like any other spirit would in this blasted heat."

The Guardians. How could he have forgotten them? They were going to be so mad at him for not showing up.

"I'm going to be late to my own birthday party."

-break-

"What do you mean gone?" said Bunny dully, still cradling Jack's head between his furry paws.

It had been almost an hour since Jack had stopped breathing. Tooth had flown off to her palace at the news, burying herself so deep in her work that not even her miniature fairies could reach her. Sandy went off alone, whips in hand, to find the spirits who had done such damage to Jack, and make them pay for it, his mild nature long forgotten and traded in for a much more sinister attitude. North had placed a larger hand on Bunny's shoulder after slowly finishing wrapping each wound-though he knew it was too late to do any good- and went to his private workshop, locking the door and leaving himself with the ice the winter spirit so loved and cookies and vodka. Chipping ice could be heard throughout the silent Workshop. Only Bunny remained to Jack's lifeless body, unable to leave the boy alone; he had been alone all his life, he shouldn't have to be alone in death.

"Please," whispered Bunny. "Come on, mate, you can't really be gone. I know you don't think it, but you are the best person I have ever known. Always. So please do me this favor and stop this now. Stop being gone."

Bunny stared hard at Jack, the pale eyelids curtaining his electric blue eyes, unmoving, as if he expected a miracle to happen, as if he expected Jack to wake up and laugh at Bunny with some comment about him caring.

He was the Guardian of Hope, it wasn't in his nature to give up, even when the odds were piled high against his wishes. But nothing happened because in the end Death trumps Hope every time.

***I want it known that when Jack was getting beat up he did not think about the Guardians because it honestly didn't occur to him that they were a viable form of help. It wasn't bitter or angry or anything, it just didn't occur to him, which I think is sad.**

**Anywho, there will be a part three. I told you, this thing was going to be a one shot but it grew, and it won't stop growing. I hope that's okay with you. I know this one was rather dark...hope that makes all you angst-crazy readers happy. **

**Thank you for all the support. Requests welcome. Always-Ari**


	31. Boiling Snow Pt 3

**Title-Boiling Snow Pt. 3**

**Summary-The one where Jack is still gone.**

**Characters- Jack Frost, Bunnymund, Man in the Moon**

**Request by- Dreamer-pilot**

Bunny quit pleading with Jack and sat silently with the boy in his arms. He had tried to walk out of the room, he had tried to move away from the bed, but every time he did Jack looked so lonely and broken that Bunny couldn't stand it. It was irrational but that didn't stop Bunny from cuddling the boy close and trying not to cry.

"It's all your fault," whispered Bunny, staring out the window at the moon. "How dare you show your face? Don't you know what happened? Why did you create him if you were just going to let him die after he finally got what he wanted? He changed everything and you know it."

The moon continued to glow, silent and steady, which only infuriated Bunny more. He needed something to be mad at, someone to blame, and the only being with the power to change anything was there, staring at him through the window.

"How is this fair?" demanded Bunny, standing up, Jack still in his arms, moving closer to the window. "How is this any type of fair? You made the kid and then ignored him for 300 years. Yeah, I ignored him too but at least I didn't make him and then dump him into a world with no knowledge and let him wonder. At least I didn't abandon him. And now I'm trying to make it right which is a helluva lot better than what you are doing, and you just take him from us? No. Bring him back. Jack is Fun and Joy and brings laughter into the world and reminds us all what everything is about. What are you? You're just a giant rock millions of miles away who does nothing. You reflect light, you can't even create it. You're a disgrace and you don't deserve Jack, so bring him back here where there are people who actually care about him."

The moon stayed silent and continued to reflect light off of the sun that no one else in that part of the world could see. Bunny shook his head, closed the shutters to block the moon out, and sank to the floor, his back leaning against the wall, Jack still limp in his arms.

-break-

"I don't like this," said Jack, sitting at the bottom of a very steep hill. "I don't like this one bit."

It was a beautiful valley that stretched on for miles behind him with rolling fields of grass, trees to climb, everything blooming and yet it looked as if every season had agreed to coexist. It was breathtaking but Jack had eyes only for the hill.

"I don't want to be here," said Jack, standing up. "I know where I am. You know, that's what I don't know-how I know. You didn't explain anything!"

He was glaring at the sky as he started tracking up the harsh terrain.

"You never explain anything," sobbed Jack, growing frustrated as he slipped. "I don't think you're even listening. You're cruel and you're mean and you don't even care. You don't care!"

He hit his knees again, the rocks scraping against them. His hands scrabbled, dirt pushing up under his nails, roots and glass shards littering the ground cutting into his hands, drawing thin lines of blood, but Jack kept climbing upward for hours, sometimes silent, sometimes screaming, but always climbing up, away from the peaceful land behind.

"I spent my entire life alone," panted Jack, his hands grasping to ledge at the top of the hill. "That's only just changed."

_I am doing you a favor, Jack Frost._

"Stop doing me favors then," gasped Jack, pulling himself up. "Let me go back."

-break-

His ears twitched ever so slightly once, then again. There was that annoying sound again, like a butterfly learning to fly, clumsy and barely there. It had happened a few times on and off for the entire time Bunny had been sitting against the wall, holding Jack's body.

"Ow," groaned Jack.

"Jack?" said Bunny, ears going up as he pulled away enough from the body to look down at the bandaged mass in his arms.

"Hurts," whimpered Jack.

"Jack," laughed Bunny, hugging Jack close, laughing and crying at the same time. "Oh Jack, how did you do it?"

"Do what?" said Jack, blinking his eyes open as if it took all the effort to move a mountain.

"Come back," said Bunny, standing up and moving to put Jack in a spare room where he could rest. "You were dead, the moon took you away. How did you come back?"

"I was alone there," said Jack tightly, pain still radiating from his body. "I was alone and he said he was doing me a favor, so I told him to sod off and I came back. Even the moon doesn't want me in the end."

Bunny laughed in sheer joy, tossing a spare bit of dream sand that Sandy had given him to keep for emergencies on the boy so he could sleep away from pain.

"Phil," yelled Bunny, sticking his head out of the doorway, yelling until the yeti came brambling down the hall. "Phil, tell North, tell the others, tell everyone, he's back. Jack came back."

Then Bunny ran back to the bed, the words from the winter spirit still echoing in his head.

_I was alone there. Even the moon doesn't want me in the end._

"You've done one thing right," said Bunny, looking out the picture window to the setting moon in the northern sky. "But if you ever-ever- take Jack away again, if you ever cause him pain of any sort, I promise you this, never forget this, I will destroy you."

_Bunnymund, my son, I appreciate your passion but you do not scare me. If anyone should be afraid, my dear old friend, it should be you. Fear me, I've watched hundreds older, wiser spirits than young Jack Frost fall._

"You're forgetting one thing, mate," said Bunny darkly as footsteps began clamboring once more through the workshop. "I'm older than even you. Fear you for seeing hundreds of spirits die? No, fear me, I've seen them all. And not one of those so called older and wiser spirits have come back but Jack did. Think on that."

Bunny turned his back on the moon and sat next to Jack's bed, determined to stay with the boy and prove to him that he came back for a reason, to prove to him that he wasn't alone.

***ANNNNNDDDDD it's still not quite over yet...sorry, I told you that it grew.**

**Oh my goodness, I am exhausted and it's not very late. The only reason I am posting this right now is because you all are amazing, otherwise I would be in my bed, sick and asleep.**

**Requests welcome. Until next time! Always-Ari**


	32. One of these Days

**Title-One of these Days**

**Summary- The one where North yells at Jack during Christmas.**

**Characters-Jack Frost, Bunnymund, North**

**Rating-T**

He was a four year old spirit and Santa wasn't coming. It was Christmas, Jack was sitting outside of North's workshop having been kicked out by the yeti's, watching the waning moon march across the sky, and he knew that Santa wasn't going to visit him. The first year he had waited at his pond but no one came. The second year he snuck into a house thinking that perhaps Santa hadn't found him the year before because he had no real home but still, not a single gift was for him. The third year he had built an igloo reasoning that he needed his own place for Santa to find but when he woke in the morning it was cold and empty. The fourth year he decided to sit outside the workshop and wait even though he had figured it out. Jack could build himself an ice palace with a flat roof for the man to land, write him a letter a day for the entire year, and leave some food but Santa would never show up.

Inside there was a warm glow as the yeti's and elves danced and drank warm drinks, laughing and enjoying a year well done while North delivered gifts across the world to all the good boys and girls. Jack watched, his normally wild hair drooping as if it were trying to reflect his mood, knees drawn close to his chest more for comfort than warmth, and finally realized this was as close as he would ever get to that type of wonder.

"One of these days you're going to love me," vowed Jack, his voice barely more than a whisper, because at that point he was just a little kid alone in a world that didn't know he existed and all he wanted was to be loved.

Three hundred years later found Jack still as physically young, still emotionally as young, but much more jaded and cynical about the world he had discovered. He was nearly as invisible as the day he was born, marginally more unhappy, and on that particular day incredibly fed up with everyone. He was sitting on top of the globe at the North Pole, out of the way of all of the action as Christmas, less than a month away, quickly approached. He had been sitting there for several hours, frost creeping away from him to decorate the globe, and at first he had been enjoying the first Christmas season he had been allowed inside the Pole. He thought he could help, he had questions to ask, things he wanted to know, but the yeti's had batted him away as if he were an annoying fly and North was locked in his workroom. So Jack took up his perch on the globe, settling down so he sat confined to the North Pole and could still watch all the lights. As much as he hated being ignored he couldn't bring himself to leave; leaving would be like giving up a dream in favor for a nightmare.

"Jack!" thundered North, marching into the room and seeing the winter spirit sitting on the globe. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting," drawled Jack lazily.

"No!" yelled North. "You're freezing lights. Your frost is covering them! You mustn't cover the lights, Jack. Get away from there at once! I must see which lights are dim!"

Jack stood up, his toes splayed across the top of the globe, the frost retreating slowly as his contact with the sphere lessened dramatically. There, right at the top, nestled between his big toe and second toe, the dimmest light of them all, so dim it was only seen if the person was looking for it specifically, went out completely and Jack launched out of the window, into the crisp night air, a movement that had taken years to perfect but it's not like Jack had had anything better to do.

-break-

"Hey, where's Frostbite?" asked Bunny several hours later, stopping by the pole to see if he could help North with Christmas preparations. "I could have sworn he told me he would be here."

"Who?" said North, not looking up from where he had taken over a yeti's paint job, red and orange splotches of paint in his hair.

"Jack," said Bunny, confused. "You know, white hair, blue hoodie, talks a lot, a bit annoying, over energetic, newest Guardian?"

"Globe room," said North, waving his hand absently.

Bunny left the older man to struggle with his projects; Jack was bound to be up to no good, which was more interesting than helping get ready for Christmas. In the globe room, there was no sign of Jack, the window was open as always, but there was no telltale frost or ice decorating any of the surfaces.

"Frostbite?" said Bunny, looking around, his ears turning as he listened. "You in here?"

There was no answer. Bunny shrugged, deciding that the Spirit of Winter had moved to a different wing of the Pole to infest with snow and trouble, and studied the globe, happy for some peace and quiet. The lights glowed, making Bunny smile. He loved watching the lights but his favorite reason for visiting before Christmas was to check on all the dim lights. Those he would make sure got a little extra something special to boost their belief, their hope. He kept tabs on them throughout the year and took advantage of special days to make them happy and Christmas was one of those times.

"Hey North?" yelled Bunny, his voice carrying through the ruckus.

"What?" roared North, stomping into the room a few minutes later. "Are you here to help or keep distracting me?"

"A light went out," said Bunny, pointing to the globe.

"Is sad," said North, confused. "But lights go out sometimes, nothing we can do."

"No, it was there this morning," insisted Bunny. "I stopped by to drop off the paint you asked for and that light was on and now it's gone. This time of year belief normally goes up. So what happened?"

"I don't know!" yelled North, frustrated with the topic. "Why is this so important to you? It's one child?"

"Because it's not just some child, North! Look at the lights! Which one is missing?"

North growled and studied the globe. He was so caught up in Christmas that he could not pinpoint which light in the millions that was no longer glowing. That had never been his strong suit, it was Bunny's job to notice every single light, not his. He made toys.

"I don't know," sighed North. "Look, can we have this conversation in a few weeks when Christmas is over and I have had some sleep?"

"Fine," said Bunny coldly. "But where is Jack?"

"How should I know?" snapped North, half way to the door, his stress level skyrocketing. "He was here."

"Did you talk to him?"

"Of course I talked to him. He was in here, standing on the globe, freezing the lights. I bet that's why one of them is out, he was freezing everything and I told him to stop and then I left. Now, if you don't mind, Easter is not Christmas, so I need to get back to real work."

North stormed out, leaving Bunny to glare at his back until it disappeared.

"Idiot," said Bunny. "If he took half a second he would notice the light out was the only child in the North Pole."

And then the full impact of what that single light going out meant hit him, left him reeling, as he realized what it must have taken for that light, the light that had held on for 300 years, to suddenly go out.

"Bugger," cursed Bunny before disappearing.

***Sorry I have taken ages to update, I have been so busy that honestly I have just gone to school, work, come home, done homework, slept for four hours, woke up, and repeated. That's it. This is the first time I have had the energy to write anything, which does mean I sacrificed sleep, but that's okay. I needed to write.**

**Oh, and I will finish the Boiling Snow arc, don't worry, just had this little thing floating around my head for the past month.**

**Well, until next time. Always-Ari**


	33. Boiling Snow Pt 4

**Title-Boiling Snow Pt 4**

**Summary- The one where Sandy gets revenge and Bunny does some comforting.**

**Characters-Sandman, Jack Frost, Bunnymund**

**Rating-T**

**Request By- Dreamer-pilot**

Sandy wasn't in the mood. The children of the world would have to go one night without his dreams because all his mind was focused on was finding the spirits who had hurt Jack. All of them. So far he had managed to track down the names of the spirits and was just come across the ring leader, quickly approaching the man with his whips in either hand.

"It was a joke!" cried Dullahan, backing away from Sandy. "It was a joke, I swear."

Sandy shook his head, pulled his whip back, and let it snap forward, the quick crack cutting through the air in a satisfying way that Dullahan would have nightmares about for centuries. Sandy wanted that. He wanted Dullahan to remember what he had done and how he had suffered for it. Sandy couldn't speak so he did his best to convey to him that Jack was protected and he would do well to remember that.

-break-

It felt like a bus had hit him. Or a train. Or an entire planet. Before opening his eyes, Jack took a mental inventory of what hurt, starting at his head and moving down. He made it to his ears before he decided it would be easier to decide what didn't hurt. When he finished that short list, he knew it was time to move; he had to get off the oddly soft ground and somewhere he wouldn't get walked through. So he forced his eyes open.

"Wait," croaked Jack, blinking at the ceiling. "Who put a ceiling in the forest?"

"You're not in the forest, mate," said Bunny, looking up from the egg he was painting. "You're at the Pole. You've been out for three days."

"Why?" said Jack, wincing as he tried to sit up, coughing.

Bunny put a pillow behind Jack's back and helped him sip a cup of water without a word. He didn't miss Jack scrunching his face in discomfort but didn't say anything. They sat in silence while Jack caught his breath.

"Why am I here?" asked Jack.

"The wind brought me to you," said Bunny, painting the egg again as if he was not interested. "I brought you here."

"I know that part," said Jack, his memory vague but intact. "And then there was a pretty land, and a really steep cliff and the Moon put me back, and then you were laughing and now I'm here. But why are you here?"

"What?" said Bunny, before he remembered Jack's comment about not even the Moon wanting him.

Jack blinked at him owlishly, waiting.

Bunny considered giving him an excuse like it was his off season or some other excuse but then he looked at Jack laying in bed, bandaged up, exhausted, and so childlike that it physically hurt Bunny to think about it.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," said Bunny, trying not to sound awkward.

"Oh, well, I'm fine."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No, you're really not, mate."

"Yes, I really am."

"If you're so fine, why don't you just get up and walk on out that door. Go on, let's see it."

Jack's clear blue eyes narrowed.

"Go on, I'm waiting."

Bunny stood up and crossed his arms while Jack slowly, painfully, swung his legs over the side of the bed and set his feet on the ground. He took a deep breath, pushed himself up, and promptly fell towards the ground with a painful cry. Bunny caught him and set him back on the bed. Jack clung to Bunny's fur as tears of pain streaked down his cheeks.

"Hey, you're okay," said Bunny soothingly. "It's alright, I've got you. Just breathe. Nice and easy, there's a good boy."

Slowly Jack's breathing evened out and he managed to settle but when Bunny tried to pull away Jack whimpered. So Bunny settled down on the bed with Jack propped up to make breathing easier on him.

"I don't need you, you know," whispered Jack after several minutes, although he didn't try to pull away. "I did just fine on my own for 300 years. I didn't need you to find me, I didn't need you to bandage me up, and I didn't need you to take care of me. I didn't need any of you back then and I don't need you now."

As he spoke, Jack's voice did not sound convincing. Bunny could tell it was just a defense mechanism, he was trying to push Bunny away because he was scared of getting close to any of the Guardians. Tooth was busy working and while she cared, she overwhelmed the boy and invaded his personal bubble without permission. North was much larger and from what Bunny was learning of Jack's history with other spirits, that factor alone set Jack on the defensive and made it difficult for him to want to trust the mountain of a man. Sandy and Jack seemed to get along wonderfully, pulling pranks and often sitting in silence while Sandy worked but the smaller man was busy and Jack hated bothering him. Bunny was the only one Jack consistently went out of his way to annoy and the other Guardians often sent Bunny to find Jack when the boy was late for meetings or get togethers because they secretly thought their bickering was hilarious. If Jack was, after several years of getting adjusting to life as a Guardian, going to feel comfortable enough with one of them to try and open up, it was bound to be Sandy of Bunny.

"You may not need us," said Bunny, allowing Jack to snuggle into his warmth the way a child snuggles a loved blanket. "But that doesn't mean that we don't need you."

"What do you mean?" said Jack, looking up at Bunny but cringing as the movement brought on a wave of pain.

"You changed everything," explained Bunny, nudging Jack's temple with his nose to calm the boy. "Before you, I was friends with the others but we saw each other on occasions like Christmas of New Years or when the children of the world were in danger. Then you came along, you little bundle of energy and fun, and you made us a family, you brought us together and reminded us why we cared so much about children."

"I'm not a child," yawned Jack and Bunny smoothed down his wild locks.

"I never said you were," chuckled Bunny. "But you are part of the family now, so you had better get used to us wanting you around because that will never change."

Jack began to fall back to sleep as Bunny continued to pet his hair in a consistent, relaxing way, and as he did he thought he heard Bunny say something else but he couldn't be sure.

"Promise," whispered Bunny, although he was almost positive Jack was already asleep.

***I am so sorry. I wish I wasn't so busy but balancing full time work and full time school then adding in sleep has become almost impossible. After this week I think it will slow down but I can't be sure. I will keep updating though, I promise.**

**On the plus side, I am now a year older...and I finished this saga! **

**As always, thank you so much for the support. Requests are always welcome. Always-Ari**


	34. One of these Days Pt 2

**Title-One of these Days Pt 2**

**Summary-The one where Jack makes a storm and Bunny does some yelling because he is a bit over protective.**

**Characters-Jack Frost, Bunnymund, North**

**Rating- T**

He wasn't hard to find because he wasn't trying to hide. He was in the middle of New York City, directly under a sudden snow fall, nothing dangerous but enough to let himself feel less pressure building from his powers. He had quickly learned that he would never fade from lack of believers because he was also the spirit of a season. It didn't make it hurt less when he was walked through but at that moment he wasn't concerned with being walked through. He didn't mind adults walking through him and he was focused on the noise of the city. He loved the noise, it kept the silence away and it was never quiet in New York. Standing there in the middle of the side walk, person after person passing through him, Jack held his arms out as if he were expecting a hug, his face tilted to the sky, a peaceful look on his face.

"I'm dangerous," said Jack, the wind picking up. "I'm warning you."

He wasn't sure who he was trying to warn, so with a sigh of defeat he let the wind go back to being gentle and ferrying his snow softy down.

"But you're not afraid of me," said Jack, frowning. "And I can't convince you."

"Who are you trying to convince?" asked Bunny from behind Jack.

Jack stayed with his arms outstretched.

"Jack," said Bunny, placing his hand on Jack's shoulder.

His paw went through Jack.

"What?" said Bunny, trying again to reach the winter spirit. "Jack? Jack, come on."

Jack turned, still smiling, and walked directly through Bunny.

"Wind, where do you want to go?"

"Jack," said Bunny, his tone soft and broken. "You can't see me?"

"I can see you," said Jack absently, not turning around.

"But you went through me," said Bunny, not understanding. "You can't see me and go through me at the same time. It doesn't work that way."

"You don't know how it works," snapped Jack, turning on his heel to glare at Bunny, the snow picking up steam. "Technically, I am a child but I am also a spirit. So I can't not see you. You are part of my world. But I don't believe in you, so you can't touch me. Any of you. Trust me, it's better this way."

"How?" yelled Bunny, following Jack as he walked through the emptying streets as people fled the sudden and growing snowstorm. "How is not believing better?"

"Because if I don't believe in you then you can't hurt me anymore," said Jack, ice spreading from his bare feet across the pavement. "I don't want my memories anymore, I don't need dreams, I don't have anything to wonder about and I certainly don't have anything to hope for."

Jack sat down on the hood of a parked taxi on a side street, the snow already piling on top of it. He sighed, absently tracing patterns in the white fluff. Bunny stayed where he was, unsure of what to do. He didn't know how to handle this situation. He wanted to find the others and get their help but he didn't want to leave Jack alone where he could easily disappear, or worse.

"North didn't mean what he said," said Bunny.

"Yes he did," said Jack sadly. "He cares more about the lights on a globe, an inanimate object, than he does about me. But that's okay."

Jack finally looked up at Bunny, a soft, sad, understanding look on his face that made him seem both old and incredibly young at the same time.

"I already knew that," continued Jack. "He always cared more about lights than me. Those lights are his existence, and that's okay. I just thought…I don't know, I guess I just hoped that one of these days he'd care about me too. But I don't really need that. I've done pretty well if I do say so myself."

"Jack, I care about you," said Bunny sincerely.

Jack said nothing.

"Come on, Jack," said Bunny, holding out a paw to help the boy off the hood of the car. "Come with me. We'll get this sorted out."

"Didn't you hear me?" said Jack, his eyebrows going up in confusion. "I don't need you, any of you."

"Jack," said Bunny, pleadingly, but Jack was already gone, the wind taking him into the air, disappearing in the gathering gloom.

-break-

"North!" thundered Bunny, marching into the Guardian of Wonder's workshop.

"What?" snapped North, accidently smashing one of his ice creations in surprise. "Bunny, why must you barge in and break things? How many times have I told you to knock?"

"No, shut up," said Bunny, backing North against his desk. "You're an adult. You are the Guardian of Wonder. You protect children. And you're a liar."

"What?" said North. "Bunny, I don't have time for this."

"Then make time!" screamed Bunny. "Jack doesn't believe in us anymore and it's your fault. He walks through us, he ran away. He won't listen to me. And all you can think about is your damn holiday! You know what, if you're rather be working on your little projects then fine, you win. Christmas is more important than Easter."

"So you admit it! That Christmas is better than Easter!"

"If you're willing to sacrifice Jack for Christmas, for millions of other children, then yes, it obviously is more important. But before you make that choice you should go talk to Jack. Because I would rather get walked through by all of the children of the world than to have Jack walk through me again."

"Jack can't walk through us, he is a spirit, like us."

"He's a spirit so he can see us," countered Bunny. "He's a child so he has to believe in us for us to touch him."

"I will make it better after Christmas," said North distractedly. "Jack is a big boy, he will be fine."

Bunny gave North a disgusted look before beginning to walk out of the shop.

"Where are you going?" asked North. "You could help yeti's paint."

"I'm going to find Jack," said Bunny. "You've got a lock on this whole Christmas thing, it seems. So you look after the children of the world. I'll look after the only child in your world."

Bunny shut the door leaving a conflicted North behind him.

***Guys...this was a rough day. Okay, bye.**

**-Ari**


	35. One of these Days Pt 3

**Title-One of these Days Pt 3**

**Summary- The one where Jack won't believe...still**

**Characters-Jack Frost, Bunnymund**

**Rating-T**

He was getting sick, he could feel it deep in his chest, he could feel the pressure starting to build and his breathing become more difficult. Jack hoped it was just the stress of everything getting to him, making him sick, but he wasn't positive. Still, Jack decided it would be best if he went and rested for a time and flew to his lake to set up camp on his favorite tree. When he arrived, he was too tired to climb the tree.

"I like it better on the ground anyway," said Jack, coughing lightly.

It felt as if he was trying to breathe with wads of tissue paper jammed into his chest, fluttering with each breath to add a new tone to his chest. It ached dully and he couldn't seem to be getting enough air but he wasn't concerned, he just needed a bit of sleep and he would be fine. Curling up under his tree, Jack began to try to sleep, snow softly falling to form a light blanket.

"Jack," said Bunny, looking around for the winter spirit.

Jack groaned; why couldn't Bunny just leave him alone, all he wanted to do was sleep.

"Jack, there you are," said Bunny, hopping over. "Look mate, I know that North was an ass but you've got to hear me out."

"Go away," groaned Jack, turning away, pulling up his hood, and pretending to be asleep.

"No, Jack," said Bunny. "You've got to listen. You may not believe it but I believe in you. I care about you. Yeah, you're a right pain in my ass some times and we don't always see eye to eye."

"Never," said Jack, interrupting. "We never see eye to eye."

"Okay," said Bunny with a slight smile that Jack missed because his head was still towards the tree. "We never see eye to eye, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you. You may not believe me now but I promise I will never stop trying to get you to believe it."

"Please leave me alone," whispered Jack, finally turning over to stare at Bunny, just wanting to be left alone so he could deal with being sick on his own like he always did.

"Jack, you feeling alright?" said Bunny, trying to put his paw on Jack's head to feel his temperature but his hand passed right through, causing his stomach to clench.

"No," said Jack, miserably. "I'm not feeling alright, Bunny. I'm tired, my chest feels like someone is dancing on it and trying to drown my at the same time, I just want to sleep, and you won't shut up. So please, just leave me to die."

"Well someone's dramatic when they're sick," chuckled Bunny.

"Go away," said Jack, trying to pull his hood over his face.

"No," said Bunny, reaching into his bag, pulling out a blanket, and settling it on top of Jack.

Jack eyed the blanket, then Bunny, then the blanket again, then pulled it more securely around his shivering frame. He was cold and he hated being cold but he couldn't stop shivering. It was the type of shaking uncontrollably that he could not stop just by focusing. He could tell that Bunny was worried so he tried to focus on that instead.

"This isn't how it works," said Jack. "When I get sick I don't need help."

"So what, you just curl up in a ball and wait to get better?"

"Yeah."

Bunny blinked, surprised. He hadn't expected an honest answer, and he hadn't expected the answer to be yes. But he sat there, staring down at the winter spirit who was shaking and clearly very sick, and did not reach out to touch him because there was nothing he could do.

"Well, not this time," said Bunny calmly. "Jack, you're sick. I'm not going to let you curl up and suffer."

"What are you going to do about it?" sneered Jack, holding his chest as he tried to breathe. "You can't touch me."

Bunny said nothing, just sat there next to Jack, leaning against the tree. Jack looked at him, coughed for several minutes, until he eventually fell into a fitful sleep. Bunny sat there for several hours, absently painting and talking to the sleeping boy.

"I really screwed up with you, didn't I?" sighed Bunny. "Maybe it's too late after all. That sucks, because I really thought we were starting to get along. And now this. North is an idiot. He hasn't actually interacted with children in centuries, he's obsessive and doesn't know how to handle stress very well. It's just an adjustment for him, having someone new in his world.

"But hey, Frostbite, I'm sorry. And I'll probably never say this to you when you're awake, but you mean the world to me, kiddo. Out of all of the children in the world, you're the only one who drives me mad but makes me drop everything for you. You're like that annoying little brother I never wanted but now that I have you, I can't remember how I survived without you. I'm sorry I didn't protect you from North being an idiot. I yelled at him, told him how wrong he was, I don't know it it'll change anything, but I tried. I know that doesn't change the fact that I failed you, but I did what I could. I'm sorry, buddy."

Jack began coughing violently.

"Here, drink this," said Bunny, offering him a water bottle.

Gratefully, Jack took a long sip, allowing it to calm to burning in his throat. He struggled to sit up and Bunny, out of instinct, reached out, grabbed his arm, and helped him into a sitting position. It took him a moment to realize what had just happened.

"Jack, I-you-" said Bunny, not wanting to believe it.

"Shut up, Cottontail," said Jack. "You have a better plan than sleeping on the ground?"

"Yeah," said Bunny, pulling Jack into a standing position. "How about I take you to the Warren and fix you up. I'm pretty positive you have pneumonia. I've got medicine for it, you can rest. Sound good Frostbite?"

"Sure," said Jack, leaning against Bunny, not having the strength to keep his balance alone.

Bunny chuckled and brought Jack back to his Warren, gave him some cough syrup, set him up in one of his spare room, and went to look at his wall maps. Each one was a different color, one of each of the Guardians so he could track their believers. Jack's, the least faded, had the fewest glowing spots, Sandy and Tooth's had the most, spanning the most countries and beliefs, and North and Bunny's were tied next, except for the single dot on Bunny's that was located in his Warren that was not on North's map. Bunny ran a paw over his ears, realizing just how long of a way they still had to go.

***Hello! So, I am sick...awesome. I don't have time to be sick, but the bonus of that is that it gave me time to post this. **

**Thank you so much for all of the support. You guys are the best.**

**Always-Ari**


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